


You're Mine... or am I Yours?

by ObsidianCrow



Series: Kirk/Khan Bloodbond!verse [1]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Biting, Blood Bond, Blood Sharing, Bloodplay, Collars, Conditioning, Control, Dubious Consent, M/M, Possessive Behavior, Power Play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2017-12-12 15:13:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 53,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/812975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsidianCrow/pseuds/ObsidianCrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You will be equipped with behavior modification technology, and you will then be sent back to remain under the captain's and my watch." </p><p>-Khan is, for once, forced into an inferior position. Khan attempts to find loopholes in Vulcan technology while in the midst of his 'rehabilitation.' Meanwhile,  Kirk tries to adjust to having the man who caused him so much pain beside him all the time, and their growing 'bond'.</p><p>Will incorporate plots from episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, with Khan added in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

“The techniques are still in the revisionary phase, but testing on New Vulcan has promised potential,” said Spock, dark brown eyes locked onto Jim's. “This will be an excellent opportunity to test how far the technology can be used to rehabilitate people. If it fails to achieve the desired effect, we can put him to sleep like the rest of his crew.” 

Jim ran a hand through his hair, eyes narrowing in thought. “Khan's smart, Spock. He's manipulative. Whoever has control over him might just decide he's 'rehabilitated' when he's not.”

“You misunderstand the program, Captain. It is used for high-profile criminals, and does not have an end date. He will spend the duration of his life under the program, perhaps with changes as newer technology comes out.”

Kirk glanced at the monitor, revealing Khan fuming in his glass prison. Soul-seizing blue eyes were narrowed, the handsome face hiding an underlying maleficence. Kirk sighed. “He's brilliant... If he was working with us, we could accomplish anything.” He redirected his gaze to his best friend's. “Promise me he won't be able to cause irreparable harm, or world domination, or wake his crew. _Promise_ me this, Spock. I can't risk any more loved ones just for the sake of having a powerful weapon on our side.”

Spock was silent for a long moment. Before speaking, he uncharacteristically placed a hand on Jim's shoulder. He had lost Kirk- he understood the pain and worry perfectly. “You and I are to have joint control over him. So long as this does not change, and the program remains in the hands of New Vulcan, he will only be able to cause harm if we are careless.”

“Well...” Jim gazed at the monitor once more. “...alright. But if he hurts a single person, he's going straight into cryonic sleep.” 

~ 

Jim approached the unbreakable glass wall protecting the world from the monster that had ultimately taken his life. The breath rushed from him at the anguished, vengeful stare fixed on him, the man suddenly too close. Not even the cage was enough to leave Jim feeling safe from this man's hateful blue gaze.

“What is it you plan to do with me now, _Captain_?” he snarled, spitting the last word like a curse. He was on his feet in an instant, close enough to the glass to fog it with his labored breathing. He was radiating hate. “Now that you've captured me... killed my family...”

“...wait, what?” Kirk stared dumbly. “When did I... _Oh_. No one told you?” No change in expression. Khan daren't hope. He wouldn't let his emotions be played with in such a way. “Khan... they're not dead. Spock took their cryonic chambers out before sending those missiles over to your ship. While we're definitely not going to wake them up, they're not _dead_.”

“Your attempt at manipulation is pathetic and will not work.” The lines on Khan's face hardened, Kirk nearly tripping backwards in his instinctual need to flee. “I repeat, _what do you plan to do with me_?”

Jim quickly regained his footing. If this plan was to work, he couldn't let Khan control him. On the same hand, he wanted to ease the burning hatred in Khan's heart. Khan was already volatile- the loss of his only family would not help. Swiftly, Jim typed away at a monitor device, flipping it around to show Khan. For once, the superhuman was stunned, eyes widened. “This... this is a trick. I'll need to see it myself to believe it.” 

Jim couldn't help himself. It was beyond inappropriate, but he laughed all the same. “Let you near them? After all that's happened?” He shook his head. “No way. I may not be a genetically-engineered human, but I'm smart enough to know better than that. No, I've got a better idea.”

“Oh?” Khan lifted a slender brow, devastatingly beautiful in his near-hopefulness. 

Jim had the sudden urge to crumble such hope and watch the man fall apart... Instead, he said, “Vulcans don't lie. I'll have Spock talk to you. He can explain your situation to you, too.”

~ 

Conversing with the man who had caused Kirk's death (although unintentionally bringing him back, as well) was not something Spock desired. As much as he liked to act otherwise, it had become glaringly obvious to anyone who had seen him after the destruction of his home planet that he did indeed have emotions. _Strong_ emotions. However, he used meditation and the techniques taught to him as a child and adolescent to control them. Jim had a way of breaking Spock's life-learned self control in a matter of instants... 

The insufferable Khan, while incapable of getting Spock to reveal his emotions, was greatly capable of evoking them.

“Is it true?” was the first thing out of Khan's mouth. This one thing was Khan's humanity- his attachment to his crew. “Are they alive?” 

“In the technical sense,” Spock answered. “Your crew is in a state of cryonic sleep, and will be for an indefinite period of time.”

Some of the rage faded from the fiery, over-emotional depths. This man was strong... but he was a super _human_. As 'superior' as he might be, being a member of his species created a weakness in him. “...I heard it was your choice to not blow them up on my ship. If this is so, I express my gratitude. It is a kindness I would never extend to your people, and can't understand why a a member of a species known for logic would do so.”

“Captain Kirk has a habit of rubbing off on people. Do you wish to be told of your fate?”

Khan tapped his nails on the barrier separating them, appearing to be in thought. “...yes, I suppose it would be most beneficial to be psychologically prepared. I presume it isn't cryonic sleep, or I'd already be out.”

“That is correct,” Spock confirmed. “You are to be part of a new program for behavioral modification, with the intention of becoming a useful member of the crew.”

Khan's lips quirked. “I know you're inferior, but this is an unexpected level of idiocy.”

“That is debatable,” said Spock. “You will remain under the program until either your death, the invention of a better program, or until you provide us reason to give up on you and put you into cryonic sleep. Your progress will be monitored by myself and Captain Kirk. In time, you may be allowed on missions with us.”

“And if I refuse?”

Spock gazed into the sharp blue depths, analyzing the man before him. “Perhaps a half-asleep stage, with constant experimentation. There are many companies that would jump upon having a human with your healing capabilities... We would take all necessary previsions to eliminate your chance of escape. The choice is yours.”

Khan's hands were balled into fists. “It is unwise to even leave me alive.” He abruptly turned around, a slight hesitance to his frame. “It is only the illusion of a choice. I have none...”

Spock remained silent, waiting for the past dictator to come to terms with his fate. Khan was, after all, correct. As an emotional and logical human being, he was only left with one option.

“I accept. When does this... _program_ begin? May I know the process?”

Spock replied, “Tomorrow morning, you will be sent to New Vulcan. Naturally, you will be tranquilized the entire time. Upon arrival, you will be equipped with the behavior modification technology. It will be thoroughly tested for bugs, and you will then be sent back to remain under the captain's and my watch.”

“And if anything was to happen to the both of you?” asked Khan.

“You would be placed in indefinite Cryonic sleep,” Spock answered.

~

Khan didn't fight as the barely-visible gas began to fill his cage, even as he felt it begin to take effect. However, in what felt like mere moments- as his long cryonic sleep had- he found himself awakening. His head was thick and foggy inside, making coherent thought a challenge. With a great effort, he peeled his lids open. The sudden piercing pain of light caused him to scrunch them shut once more. He raised a lead-filled arm, placing a hand over his face.

“Yeah, it'll probably take you a couple minutes to be functional again, even with your 'superiority'. They practically gave you elephant tranquilizers, to make sure you wouldn't wake up.” 

Even in his haze he recognized the voice as Kirk's.

It was a few minutes later that he could sit up. His vision swam as he forced his eyes to stay open. Trying to swallow the dryness in his throat away (a failure, as it was caused purely from dehydration), he became aware of the most peculiar feeling around his neck. A still-weak hand raised, pressing at cool metal. It encircled his neck, his fingers feeling no way to undo it.

“I see you've found one of your new accessories,” came the young captain's pleased voice. “It's really quite advanced.”

Khan was finally capable of taking in his surroundings. He was sitting up (from his own efforts) against a headboard, above the tucked-in bedsheets of a comfortable bed. The room appeared to be someone's private quarters. The captain's, presumably. “I'm sure they could have made the technology smaller and less visible if they so chose. My guess is that the clear visibility serves to label my situation.”

Kirk shrugged. “Yeah, pretty much.” Then, with a wide smirk, “A collar looks good on you, Khan.”

Posture once again impeccable, voice mocking, Khan said, “You flatter me, captain,” continuing with a flat, “How does this collar work?”

“Misbehave and find out,” Kirk responded, eyes sparkling with glee. “I mean it- go ahead and misbehave. I'd love to try it out on you, you murdering son-of-a-bitch.”

Khan was off the bed in an instant, staring eye-to-eye with the reckless human before him. The hitch in breath this got him caused him pause. Jim clearly wasn't afraid, nor was he upset. What had caused such a reaction? Surprise? No, that wouldn't explain the tint of red to pale cheeks. If his guess was correct, he could use this to his advantage. He lifted a hand, which immediately was caught by one of the captain's own.

“What are you doing?” Kirk demanded, voice a bit too breathless for their situation.

Khan smirked, staring straight into those dilated blue orbs. He could feel the racing pulse through where his fingers rested on Kirk's wrist. “If I'm a 'murdering-son-of-a-bitch', what does that make you?” he asked, voice a low purr.

Kirk frowned. “Huh?”

Leaning forward, so his lips were pressed to Jim's ear (who, to Khan's intrigue, allowed it, breathing only becoming further labored), he husked, “You're attracted to me.”

Khan let himself to be knocked to the ground, landing in a crouch. He was left with nothing but smug satisfaction at the action he had caused, allowing his feelings to show on his face. Kirk's hands were clenched at his side, white-knuckled, as he shook his head. “No. No. That's... that's just _sick_. I would never- _never_ \- ever, be attracted to a _thing_ like _you_. You hear me Khan? You're _disgusting_.”

Khan dusted himself off, getting to his feet with an easy grace. “Whatever helps you keep from loathing yourself, _Captain_. You can lie to yourself, but your reactions make the truth apparent.”

Kirk's face was fixed into a deep scowl. Khan dodged the grabbing hands, gripping Kirk just right to flip him-

The ex-dictator's limbs spasmed, legs folding beneath him as his entire body weight hit the ground at once. He grunted at the sharp pain of his skull hitting the ground, the world twitching beneath him, the air burning his skin. He resisted the urge to speak, knowing he'd just end up biting off his own tongue. Through swimming vision- as his eyes were spasming as well- he recognized Kirk leaning over him.

“Interesting. I hear it has different punishments.” The face left Khan's field of vision. He barely managed to piece together Kirk's next sentence. “I have a meeting to attend. You can stay here like this 'til I'm done.”

Through the fog of wrecked senses, Khan could almost hear the sound of a door opening and closing. He gasped for breath as his senses continued to leave him, control crumbling to dust, nerves igniting in fire.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Khan takes in all the variables, looking for any possible advantage. Also, he discovers how restricting the collar truly is. Meanwhile, Kirk makes plans for the supposedly simple mission he's to go on the following day (ST:TOS, episode 1 spoilers)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I didn't expect such a great response. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint ^^' 
> 
> I apologize... I didn't feel like going through and deleting all the extra spaces between paragraphs this time. It's so time consuming and ultimately doesn't effect the story, so...
> 
> And, to paste it in so the spacing is correct, it takes out any italics or centering or anything else... ugh. Anyway, enjoy ^-^

 

Kirk stood over Khan, watching as he trembled and twitched. All semblance of self and coherent thought was gone. He was nothing but a ball of spasming and twitching muscles, brain included. How long had he left him like this? Two, perhaps three hours? He knelt down, placing a hand on the metal band around Khan's neck. “I release you, Khan,” he said, forcing his voice to be clear and strong.

 

Khan's twitching slowly died down. No more than twenty seconds had passed before the man took a deep gasping breath, attempting to push himself up. He had only gotten into a sitting position when he paused, overpowering blue eyes flooding with hate as they landed on Kirk. “Wath th-” Khan broke off, a low growl escaping at his incoherency.

 

Jim smirked, eyeing the man with intrigue. “Wow. They really did make a device that could punish _you_. I hadn't believed it. You recover _fast_.” He pressed a glass of water into shaking hands. Khan's fingers gave out under the weight, and Jim managed to catch it, half of it spilling onto Khan's pants.

 

Perhaps this was a side effect of being drugged for who-knows-how-long and then being 'punished' for two hours? He pressed the glass to Khan's lips. A burning gaze fixed to his as Khan gulped down what he was given, Jim's clumsy attempts leaving droplets spilling past the ex-dictator's lips. “This should help you speak. Not that that's a desirable thing.” He watched a drop trailing down Khan's chin... A chin that looked very good when gripped by his hand...

 

Kirk cleared his throat. “I need to talk to you about the rules here. We're giving you free roaming rights for now. Obviously certain rooms are going to be off limits, which you'll know because they require DNA scans, badges, or other such things to enter. You have a curfew of 1800 hours,” he said, purposely leaving out, _If you're not back by that time, I'll activate a punishment on your collar._ “If you try to manipulate anyone, you'll be put on a tighter leash.”

 

~

 

“Is it really a good idea to give him free reign like this?” asked Spock, looking at Kirk over the 3D chess board.

 

Kirk shrugged. “I figure he'll mess up eventually, and it'll give me an excuse to punish him. Besides, the more you give, the more you can take away.”

Spock placed his next piece on the board. “It is optimal to not let your emotions get the best of you.”

 

Kirk avoided his friend's eyes. “Easier said than done...” Redirecting the conversation, he said, “Anyway, we'll be visiting planet M-113 tomorrow. Just for routine medical checks and medical examinations of the humans situated there. Bones actually knows one of them. Nancy Crater, I think.”

 

Spock frowned upon seeing Kirk's next move, muttering a low, “How illogical,” before saying, “I assume you wish for me to keep an eye on Khan while you are down on the planet?”

 

Kirk gave a nod. “Yeah. He's got a tracker implanted in that thing on his neck, right? Just keep watch on a monitor and make sure he doesn't leave the ship. I don't wanna chase him down in the M-113 wasteland.”

 

~

 

 _Such an inferior species_. Khan watched the people chatting gleefully around him in the recreation room, unaware of the god in the room with them. _What good is a collared god?_ He frowned, banishing that thought. He was better than them. This was a mere... setback. He was awake, and he would have another chance to free his crew.

 

“Hey, you're that ex-dictator guy, aren't you?” The boy asking him could be no more than 17, grinning with his apparent find. “And now you're the captain's pet, huh?”

 

Khan kept his face perfectly blank, hands twitching with the instinct to hurt the kid. He was built to fight- not sit and tolerate, unless for the sake of an end goal. Now he sat because worse than not being able to hurt this inferior child was being a writhing mess on the floor in front of this weak being. A hand reached out, hazelly brown eyes rapt with intrigue. Khan caught it before it could touch his collar, applying just enough pressure to threaten, but not to hurt. Voice dark, Khan said, “If you try that again, I will remove this appendage from-” Khan continued to mouth the words, but nothing came out.

 

The kid was snickering behind his priorly-threatened appendage. “Oh, yeah, I'm terrified.”

 

“Joey, leave him alone,” came a voice. Khan looked up at the person, grimacing at needing someone to come to his rescue. Short sandy-brown hair almost brushed the woman's shoulders, gray eyes not even bothering to glance at Khan.

 

“But, Elizabe-”

 

“ _Cutler_ ,” the woman snapped.

 

Joey huffed. “Fine. _Ms. Cutler_ , do you even know what he did? What's it matter if I taunt him a bit?”

 

Khan watched the woman with intrigue, wondering if she could be of use to him. Had he found another pawn?

 

Elizabeth said, “I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it, but we should have some restraint. _He_ may be a criminal, but we're supposed to be civilized.”

 

Joey rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. We're 'above that' and all...” Without a backwards glance, he left the room.

 

For the first time, Elizabeth turned her gaze to his, taking the seat before him. She tilted her head, thoughtfully.

 

For now, she had been willing to 'defend' him. With a bit of work, he might be able to get even more from her. First step, feign gratitude. He opened his mouth to speak. No sound came out. _Damn this collar!_ He flinched at the feel of a hand on his, and realized he had been gritting his teeth in his anger.

 

She swiftly pulled her hand back, as if just realizing her action. “I'm Elizabeth Cutler, Exobiologist. I assume you're Khan?”

 

Jaw clenched, he gave a curt nod. Manipulation was difficult without words. In such a crucial moment, he was left to rely on one-sided conversation. Hopefully his superior thrall would be enough to draw her in, though his weak state probably dampened that.

 

“Are you really over 200 years old?”

 

Khan pondered that. Technically he was the same age as when he'd been shoved in the Cryonic tube, plus the year he had already been out of it. Still, it would probably increase any interest in him if he said yes. He gave a nod.

 

A beep stopped her before she could ask anything else, and she pulled her communicator from her pocket. “Yes? Yes, I'll be right there.” She snapped it shut, getting to her feet. She paused at the door, turning to look at him once more. “The captain's probably in the Bridge. Or you could try Dr. McCoy, though if your collar did it I'm thinking only Captain Kirk can fix your voice.”

 

~

 

Khan refused to go to Kirk for 'help'. It made no sense that McCoy would be able to help, given that it was purely technological and not medical. He did have one other option. He just didn't know where to find this person, and had no way of asking.

 

Good fortune must have been on his side, because as he turned a corner, he stopped just in time to avoid running into Spock. The Vulcan went to walk around him, Khan quickly keeping in front of the hybrid.

 

A brow lifted. “Can I help you, Khan?”

 

Biting back his humiliation, Khan nodded. Spock continued to stare, waiting for Khan to speak, no doubt. Growling- except no sound actually came out- Khan pointed at the collar.

 

“You will have to speak if you wish for me to understand the problem. I could not remove the collar even if I wanted to, if that is what you are asking.”

 

Khan forced his expression neutral, even as he felt his frustration mounting. He made a faux writing motion with his hand. Spock handed over his PADD, opening it to a word document. Khan quickly typed out, _Can't speak. Fix it._

 

“I assume there is a purpose for you being like this. I will inform the captain of your condition. I suggest staying in his quarters until he returns to avoid misunderstandings.” The supposedly-emotionless Vulcan was _amused_. While it didn't show on his face or in his voice, Khan could _feel_ it.

 

Khan continued to block the Vulcan's path. He couldn't hurt him, but he could still do this much.

 

“I will call security if you don't move.”

 

Khan stepped aside, seething after the Vulcan. This was his new existence? This pitiful life? He wanted to break something. Tear something apart. Inflict damage and _kill_.

 

~

 

At 2100, Kirk returned to his room. What he found took a moment to take in. The blankets were strewn across the room, feathers from the pillows everywhere. His clothes were out of their drawers, mixed on the ground. A lamp lay shattered at his bedside. There, on the floor, laying in the glass, was Khan. He was trembling as he had been the night before. How long had he been like this?

 

Kirk carefully avoided tripping on the mess, glass crunching beneath his boots as he kneeled down beside Khan. Sharp features were twisted in pain. Like this, the man was devastatingly handsome. Vulnerable, and weak to Kirk's any whim... he placed a hand on a silky soft cheek, stroking his thumb over red lips. The spasming of the face muscles brought, unbidden, thoughts of other muscles spasming- __around him__. He slipped a finger inside Khan's mouth, intrigued to feel the spasms continued even there. It was a full-body thing.

 

Kirk abruptly yanked his hand back, feeling sick. What was he _thinking_? This man had killed Pike- he shouldn't be attracted to him. Let alone considering... He took a few deep breaths to bring his mind to a more professional level. _I'm the captain of the U.S.S Enterprise. Khan is entrusted to me under a rehabilitation program. This is a responsibility._ Steadied, he placed a hand on Khan's collar. “I release you, Khan.”

 

This time, Khan was up in ten seconds. Kirk decided to note this to Spock when he next saw him. “What triggered it this time?”

 

Khan opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out. He placed a hand on the ground, blood trickling from it where shards of glass dug in. Using said hand as leverage, Khan was on his feet, towering over Jim. The captain quickly followed suit, using his best posture to match the ex-dictator's height.

 

Red... blood... He blinked, wondering when he had gripped Khan's bloody hand and pulled it up for examination. His eyes followed the rivulets of blood, and he was overcome with the desire to lick it. The glass shards began to come out on their own, leaving smooth flesh and a palm full of blood-coated glass shards. Spell broken, he dropped the hand. A perfectly-sculpted eyebrow raised in silent mocking. Even without words this man managed to unsettle Kirk.

 

“I'll...” Kirk cleared his throat. If he was going to speak to Khan, he couldn't stutter or show weakness. “I'll come back in half an hour. If the room is clean by the time I get back, I'll let you have your voice back.”

 

For now, Kirk needed to have a visit with Bones.

 

~

 

“Jim,” said McCoy, hoping his friend's visit to the Sick Bay was purely social. “There isn't a space tick aboard, is there?”

 

“What? No. Do those even exist?” Kirk took a seat on a bed, shoulders slightly hunched. His hands were on his knees, clenching and unclenching. “It might be nothing, but... you said there could be side effects.”

 

McCoy eyed his friend. “Is this about Khan?” He watched as Jim uncharacteristically bit his lip, nodding. “Are you feeling the need to free him, and dominate the rest of us?”

 

Kirk actually cracked a smile at that, shaking his head. “No. I still hate him, Bones. It's just... he got some glass in his hand, and he was bleeding-” He broke off, looking up from his lap. McCoy gave his practiced 'you-can-talk-to-me' face, which had helped him solve many a case on board. Another success, as Kirk continued, “I couldn't stop looking at it. His blood. I wanted to... to _lick_ it. To make him bleed more just so I could tasteit. What the hell is wrong with me?”

 

“I think I know,” said McCoy. At the hopeful look, he said, “You've turned into a vampire.”

 

Kirk rolled his eyes, even as the joke managed to lighten him up a bit. “Seriously, though. Do you have any ideas?”

 

“I'll run some tests to see if it's biological,” said the doctor. “If not, this could be a case for a psychologist. It could be mental.”

 

“I don't know which would be worse...”

 

~

 

Pros and cons. He was constantly making mental lists of them. Clean the room, get his voice back, and have a higher chance of manipulating others. Don't clean the room, mess it up even more, and watch what Kirk does.

 

 _He'd be elated to keep me this way_ , he thought, bitterly, searching through Kirk's closet, occasionally tossing something else onto the floor just for the hell of it. He paused, as the dried blood still on his hand caught his eye. Kirk's reaction had been... peculiar. Could this be an advantage? The inferior being had been absolutely entranced at the sight. While it was highly likely it was mere intrigue based on the fact Khan's blood had brought Jim back, it would be foolish to dismiss the possibility of it being more than that. Any advantage, however small, needed to be accounted for.

 

Khan ran out of clothes to toss and shred, making his way to the desk. He paused as an idea overcame him. It was with the first feel of power in days that he swiftly made the bed, tucking in the edges (the pillows were too shredded to be salvaged, however). He then made his way into the bathroom, looking under the sink. Perfect.

 

It was pathetic that he was reduced to petty pranks. What would be more pathetic, however, would be sitting back and letting Kirk feel superior. Yes, he would unsettle Kirk to such a degree that he'd slip up. Or, at the very least, provide himself with some amusement amidst this torturous 'rehabilitation program.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, constructive criticism is appreciated. I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Khan and Kirk learn something about their strange 'connection'. Other stuff happens. (Don't wanna give it all away :P)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna thank everyone for the continued support! Hope I don't letcha down. If I accidentally throw everyone out of character (without good enough justification) feel free to tell me, or any other things you think I could do better.
> 
> Do I need to warn for spoilers of a show that's over 30 years old? xD 
> 
> Some of the lines, and a big part of the plot in this chapter, are from ST: TOS, "The Man Trap"
> 
> I'm not going to use every single episode, though out of the ones I do use I'll be going through chronological order of the airdates. And a secret? I've only watched up to episode 6 so far, plus 'Space Seed'. I'm gonna continue watching them as I write this.

Chapter 3

 

Kirk hadn't appreciated the toothpaste and other assorted pastes that stuck to his form as he crawled beneath his blanket. The pure indignation (and the proven stupidity at the fact Kirk would even _trust_ Khan's made-bed) was enough to make it worth it. Khan had slept in worse places than the brig.

 

The fact such a simple prank could cause such infuriation in Kirk brought a deep satisfaction to Khan. He hardly even cared that he still couldn't speak. It was strange that he couldn't get Kirk off his mind, though. The way his eyes reacted to his blood... he wanted to see it again. How was it that he felt a strange draw to an inferior being?

 

The door to the brig opened, Khan getting to his feet. It wasn't anyone he had been expecting. He almost attempted to speak from habit, reminding himself at the last moment of his situation. Instead, he focused his gaze on her, Elizabeth Cutler, taking her in detail by detail. He was aware of the effect his intense gaze had on others.

 

A light blush dusted her cheeks. She cleared her throat. “I overheard the captain saying you were in here.” While her voice was a bit fast-paced, it was strong and unwavering. This woman had high self-confidence. “My field is the biological study of aliens. You're not an alien- just a genetically enhanced human.”

 

Khan raised a brow, waiting for the rest of the sentence, silently encouraging it.

 

“...but I still hold interest in your biology. I request permission to study it.” She hesitated. “This would have to be off the books, and if you give me your permission, we can do it during the time you're not locked up.”

 

Khan took a moment to pretend he was thinking it over, before giving a curt nod. She reached into her bag, pulling out a paperback book. “Here, I figured it might be boring sitting in there. Have you read this book yet?” She pressed a few buttons on the device attached to the glass, opening up a hole. He accepted the book from her hand. He shook his head, offering her a smile that could get half the human population to obey him and believe they had chosen to do so. The red tint returned to her cheeks. She cleared her throat. “Right. I'll see you, then. For the... research.” She shut the hole in the glass, swiftly exiting the room.

 

It would only be a matter of time before he collected multiple pawns. This woman was drawn to him, and had an air of intelligence about her. She would come in use.

 

Unbidden, his mind returned to Kirk. He had never had such a lapse in mental control. Something wasn't right...

 

~

 

Spock kept a video feed of Khan's cell on the screen. On another, he was tracking Kirk, McCoy, and an ensign down on planet M-113. He focused on Khan's screen, observing as a woman entered the brig. He would keep an eye out for her, and have a discussion with her before the day's end.

 

“ _Beam us up, Scotty.”_

 

In moments, Kirk, Ensign Green, and Dr. McCoy were back on board.

 

“That was a bust,” said Kirk, sighing.

 

“What do you mean by saying it was 'a bust'?” asked Spock.

 

“Mr. Crater wouldn't let us do any tests, and Nancy Crater disappeared before we could try and convince them,” said Kirk. “All they wanted to talk about was getting more salt.”

 

“What's really strange,” said Bones, “is that Nancy didn't look a day older than when I had seen her ten years ago.”

 

Kirk cast a strange gaze at the doctor. “Bones... she's a very beautiful woman, but she's definitely not young.”

 

“I'm serious, Jim. She hasn't aged a bit.”

 

“I think you're wearing your love goggles,” Kirk replied, patting McCoy on the back. “We'll visit her again tomorrow. We still need to give Nancy and her husband medical exams.” He glanced around, frowning. “Where'd Green go?” The man was nowhere to be seen. Shrugging it off, he turned to Spock. “Everything alright with Khan?”

 

“Everything appeared normal, though he did have a visitor.”

 

Kirk frowned. “That's not good... We'll have to be careful. Can you check in with this visitor?”

 

“Yes, captain. I've already made plans to do so.”

 

~

 

Kirk entered the brig, eyeing the dangerous brunette residing within. He sat on a bench, a book in hand. _Biology of Aliens, A through Z._ He was more than halfway through it, assuming he hadn't just been skipping around. The book was set down, open-faced. Khan got to his feet, posture perfect and eyes mocking; not at all looking like a prisoner.

 

He considered locking the criminal in there forever. His back itched unbearably where the shirt rubbed into it, along with the back of his legs. The mess of cleaning supplies and toothpaste he had unwittingly laid upon had caused a nasty rash. He had sweated most of the anti-itch ointment off while down on M-113, and hadn't had a chance to ask McCoy to reapply it (as he couldn't reach his back on his own).

 

However, keeping Khan in the brig was counterproductive. He might as well just throw Khan into his Cryonic tube if he was going to do that. He approached the glass, stopping when he was a few inches from it. “I'm seriously considering just leaving you in there.”

 

Khan's response was to raise a brow, not in the least threatened.

 

“However, that'd defeat the purpose of the rehabilitation program.” He pushed a few buttons on the side of the glass door, presenting his DNA. The glass disappeared. Kirk reached out, placing a hand on Khan's collar. Khan remained still, stoic, as Kirk said, “I'm not giving you your voice back until you start behaving. Or at least make an effort to.”

 

A strong hand reached up, covering the one on Khan's collar. Another hand slipped beneath his shirt-

 

“Hey!” he cringed as it rubbed over his rash, glaring at the knowing look in Khan's eyes. Khan abruptly pulled back, reaching into his boot and pulling out a knife.

 

“...seriously? The guards didn't manage to take that from you?”

 

Khan sliced through his palm, dark red blood welling up. Jim swallowed hard. “What are you doing?” He couldn't pull back as the non-bloodied hand gripped his jaw, forcing his mouth open. His breath was trapped in his chest as the cut hand lifted, the heady scent of powerful blood flooding his mind. Euphoria... this was what heaven was. He had died and gone there. This delicious liquid, filling his mouth and dizzying his head. He wanted- no, needed more.

 

The hand disappeared, Kirk going to follow it. Slowly, his senses came back to him, the first thing he saw being the hard lines of Khan's face. The healing hand slipped back under his shirt, running across his back-

 

The rash was fading rapidly.

 

“Err... thanks. Though, it was your fault I had the rash in the first place. And if you force me to drink your blood again, I'll punish you. I don't care if you were trying to help. You should ask for permission.” Despite his words, he placed a hand back on Khan's collar. “I release your voice, Khan.”

 

The first words out of that serpent mouth were, “You cannot deny your desire for my blood, _Captain_. For me.” Kirk felt a desperate need overtake him as that deep voice washed over him, for the first time in 24 hours. Mental images of himself forcing the man down, the knife in his own hand as he made cuts down a perfect chest- He had to regain his control. Khan was a prisoner. Kirk was not going to jump his prisoner, let alone _abuse_ him. What the hell was wrong with him?

 

The communicator in his pocket beeped, Kirk swiftly snapping it open. “Yes?”

 

Bones' voice filled his ear, “It's Ensign Kesler. Jim, he's dead.”

 

“Cause of death?”

 

“That's the thing- the symptoms aren't adding up.”

 

“I'll be right there. Kirk out.” He snapped the communicator shut. He cast a suspicious glance at his prisoner. Khan had been in the brig since the night prior, but Kirk wouldn't put it past the super-human to have gotten someone else to kill the man for him.

 

“Come, now, Jim,” said Khan, amusement shining in his eyes. “How would killing a random ensign benefit me?”

 

“It's Captain to you,” Kirk snapped. “And I never said you did it... Just know that, if you hurt a single person aboard, you're going straight into your cryotube.” He went to the shipboard communicator on the wall. “Call the bridge.”

 

After a few seconds, Uhura answered the call. “Yes, Captain?”

 

“I need to speak with Commander Spock.” In a second, the Vulcan's face appeared on the screen. Jim said, “Can you keep an eye on Khan? There's something strange going on.”

 

“I'll be right there. Spock out.”

 

“Fear I'll cause a ruckus?”

 

Kirk's breath caught in his throat as that sensuous voice filled his ears. He turned on his heel. Bad idea. It left Khan no more than an inch away. He could hardly see the man, his face was so close. “If you're trying to make me slip up, it's not going to work,” he said, relieved that his voice came out strong.

 

“Perhaps...” purred Khan, “...I don't want you to slip up. Perhaps I just want you.”

 

Between gritted teeth Kirk said, “ _You_ are a manipulative bastard, and if you think for one _second_ that I could want you, or would ever _give in_ to you, you're insane.”

 

“Captain,” Spock broke in, catching their attention. Kirk had a feeling Khan had been fully aware of Spock the second he walked in. “I will take things from here.”

 

Jim quickly stepped past Khan, shooting his friend a grateful look.

 

~

 

Khan leaned over Uhura, observing her as she worked at a control panel. There was nothing happening that he couldn't do on his own. However, he had heard Spock was in a relationship with this woman. Hovering over her was bound to annoy the Vulcan.

 

Uhura looked up at him, before returning her gaze to the the control panel. Her lips were a thin line, as she ultimately decided to ignore him.

 

A sharp pain had him raising his hand to his head. He cast a smirk towards Spock. _Success_. Except it was getting worse, and worse, and Spock wasn't doing anything more than staring at a screen. He grimaced. This was nearly as bad as when Spock had transferred the pain of his head being crushed to Khan. Was his brain going to implode?

 

 _Kirk_ , his mind supplied. Through the pain, he couldn't place why that name came to him. Was it because Kirk was doing this? No, it wasn't adding up. Trying to get his pain under control, as it only worsened with every second, he approached the Vulcan. “I need to leave.”

 

“I can't allow-”

 

Khan grabbed Spock's hand, placing it on his face and rearranging the fingers. “ _I need to leave_.” The feel of confusion filtered into the pain that would cripple a lesser human, before the hand was abruptly pulled away. “It is against regulations. I was instructed to watch you,” he said.

 

The pain became nearly debilitating, and it was all Khan could do to remain on his feet. “This is not the time to-”

 

“I'll accompany you.”

 

~

 

Kirk fell to his knees, staring into the eyes of Nancy Crater. Mere moments ago she had been Ensign Green.

 

Movement escaped him, her hands on his face feeling more like the suction cups on the legs of an octopus. _What's going on_? His mind flashed to the dead ensign in the sickbay. He had had 'mottled' marks all over his face... was that to be Kirk's fate, as well? And if this wasn't Green, where was he?

 

Strangely, his mind was drifting off to thoughts of Khan. _Why him? Why that criminal?_ He could hardly feel anymore, but still he found himself thinking of the killer.

 

“Captain!”

 

Kirk couldn't move, even as he heard the sound of his first officer's voice.

 

Nancy Crater was abruptly pulled away, intense blue suddenly overtaking his vision. “Khan?” he murmured, weakly. The sound of a shot met his ears, and he supposed Spock had stunned Nancy. He would have collapsed to the floor if Khan hadn't pressed a strong hand to his back. “Why'd you save me?” Kirk tried to pull away as the hands continued to hold onto him. “How'd you guys even know I was in trouble?”

 

“Khan insisted upon finding you,” said Spock. “It appears your situation had averse effects on him.”

 

Khan abruptly pulled away, seeming to regain himself. A deep frown was fixed upon his face. “It seems I am tied to you, Captain.”

 

“But... when you're suffering, I'm fine...”

 

“He has never been close to death,” Spock commented. “There is a 60.5% chance you would feel symptoms if he was to be dying.”

 

“Guess it's good we didn't decide to kill him.” Kirk tried to get to his feet, his knees buckling beneath him. He accepted Spock's hand, an arm wrapping around him to keep him on his feet.

 

“Khan, please bring Mrs. Crater,” said Spock. “We'll be headed to Dr. McCoy; he may be able to provide some answers.”

 

That was enough incentive for the super-human, as he tossed the woman over his shoulder.

 

~

 

For once, McCoy's usual humor was missing. He quickly took Nancy from Khan as Spock placed Jim on a sickbay bed. “What's she doing on board?” He turned to Kirk, taking in the marks on his face. “The same marks as Ensign Kesler... Kesler had no salt in his body; I'll have to test Jim's salt levels as well.”

 

“We have reason to believe she is not Nancy,” said Spock.

 

Weakly, Kirk contributed, “She looked like Ensign Green at first. Spock, we need to search M-113 for Green. Prepare a team. And bring up Mr. Crater when you find him.”

 

“Yes, sir.” Spock swiftly left the room.

 

“...stop touching my stuff!”

 

Khan ignored the doctor's command, completing the task of strapping Nancy to a sickbay bed. “This creature is dangerous. It has the ability to paralyze and kill. I can't fight, and I can't allow it to kill the captain.”

 

McCoy actually found a pause in his anger at that. “She's not an it... and why are you protecting Jim?”

 

Khan turned to McCoy, folding his hands behind his back, face betraying nothing. “It appears that we have some form of a connection. I have many areas of expertise, but this is not one of them. My knowledge of humans has never revealed anything of this sort.”

 

McCoy sighed. “Jim's always getting himself into messes... What symptoms are you experiencing?” At the grimace and silence he received, McCoy was getting annoyed. “Well, I can't help if I don't know what's wrong, can I?”

 

“...I suppose not. When Kirk was dying at the hands of that creature, I was overcome with extreme pain. I also instinctually knew where he was. There is also a desire to...” Khan paused, as if trying to decide how best to phrase it. “...feed him my blood. It may be important to note that this causes him to heal, despite it not being intravenous.”

 

McCoy frowned at this information. “What about you, Jim? Any new symptoms? Jim?” He turned to look at his friend. Jim was passed out. “He's been through a lot. I'll ask him when he wakes up. For now I can't tell you what's going on, but I'll look into it.”

 

Khan gave a brief nod.

 

“...well? What are you waiting for? Get out of my space.”

 

“I'm not leaving while that creature is within the same room as the captain.”

 

“Her name is Nancy,” McCoy said, thoroughly upset. “Whatever happened, I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. She's probably poisoned or something...” He was going to need a blood sample. Then he'd be able to heal her. He ran a hand over her hair. It had been so long since he had seen her. For things to end up like this... He couldn't give up on her. “I'll figure things out once I help her. But if you're gonna stay, you need to stop hovering. Go sit in a corner or something.”

 

Khan took that to mean 'stand beside Kirk and stare at him like a dead rat he had to drag around with him.'

 

~

 

Khan was not pleased. He had always found Kirk intriguing, but he was capable of disposing of him if need be. Now he had to throw Kirk into his calculations of escape. If it was going to work, he'd have to take the captain with him. His only hope was that the doctor could find a way to undo it.

 

“Where am I?” The voice came from the female-shaped thing Khan had strapped to a sickbay bed. McCoy was beside the creature in an instant, undoing the straps and reassuring it. “It's probably just a misunderstanding,” said the doctor. “I think you're sick.”

 

It sat up on the bed, cupping McCoy's face with a delicate hand. “You won't let them hurt me, will you?”

 

Khan kept his eye on the being, taking a step closer to Kirk. He doubted it would take much more to kill the captain. He briefly wondered if waiting out the pain while Kirk died would leave him free. He discarded the idea. It wasn't worth the risk, plus his prior actions made him unsure if he'd be physically capable of letting Kirk die.

 

The creature was approaching Kirk now. Khan swiftly placed himself between the two. “Doctor, you need to stun her. Given my current situation-” He could hardly blink as her eyes looked up at him. _I am superior to this creature! It has no control over me!_ He managed to force his hands up, blocking its hands as they went to his face. The creature couldn't be human. It wouldn't take nearly so much willpower for simple resistance, otherwise. _Its power is in the eyes_. He managed to tear his gaze away. “Shoot it _now_ , McCoy.”

 

“I... I can't... she's...”

 

“I'm just so hungry,” the creature murmured.

 

A loud shot filled the air, the creature falling backwards. The pretty female-shaped body shifted to a hairy, wide-eyed, wide-mouthed humanoid. Khan looked over his shoulder. Kirk, hardly conscious, had shot the thing down. He proceeded to settle back into the uncomfortable bed, blinking heavily. “Please tell me I didn't just kill an innocent creature,” he murmured.

 

“You killed a creature you foolishly allowed onto your ship, mistaking it for one of your own crew,” said Khan. Silence. Kirk had passed out yet again. Khan was disgusted. He was tied to a man who mistook an imposter for a member of his own family.

 

McCoy turned away from the creature. Voice solemn, he said, “She's been dead all along...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, in the episode, McCoy doesn't do anything to stop Nancy from killing Kirk- he has really strong feelings of some sort for her that seem to mess with him. Just to explain why he was watching his captain be killed and basically standing there xD


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own Star Trek.

 

While Kirk was recovering and Spock was busy searching M-113, Khan took this time to secure a key pawn. Finding Elizabeth Cutler was easy. He just had to ask the control panel to find her for him. It turned out she was in her private quarters.

 

He was immediately buzzed in, without even being asked for his identity. Her room was about half the size of Kirk's, with a desk, a 4-poster bed, and a door that presumably led to a bathroom. “Khan?” she said. “Come in... I wasn't expecting you.” Despite her words, her voice was welcoming. She pressed a button on the side of her bed, the furniture folding up into a sofa. Her PADD was in her hands.

 

“I recall you requesting to study me,” he said.

 

“You can speak again.” While her appearance was clearly flustered, her voice gave away nothing. Pointless, in the fact her feelings remained obvious in her body language, but still admirable for an inferior being. Perhaps he could teach her and increase her usefulness. “I'd like to start off with some questions.”

 

He took the seat beside her on the sofa, angled so he was slightly facing her. She had her PADD opened to a word document, a little red light revealing that it was also recording sound. “Go ahead.”

 

“How exactly are you... superior?”

 

“In every way,” came the automatic response. “I'm stronger, smarter, more _savage_ , than any ordinary human.”

 

The more he spoke, the more flustered she appeared. Still, she jotted down notes. “How about your emotions? Are they superior?”

 

This gave him pause. He had never been asked that before. He decided to give her an answer to further entice her. “I am capable of more passion than the average man.”

 

Elizabeth took a few deep breaths before speaking again, the redness in her cheeks somewhat dissipating from her efforts. “How would you describe your appetite? Do you need to eat less, because your body's more efficient, or do you need to eat more to keep up with your enhanced genetics?”

 

Judging from her body language, with a bit more work he would have her in the palm of his hand. He might not even have to make false promises of love with this one.

 

The door buzzed before Khan could respond. She was up in an instant, opening the door. “Commander Spock,” she greeted. “I've already reported the name of the salt-sucking alien to Dr. McCoy.”

 

“I have to speak with you about-” he broke off, finally noticing Khan.

 

Khan raised a brow at the vulcan, waiting to see if he'd continue in his presence. He already had a feeling of what it was about. They had video feed on the brig- they had seen her approach him. It could be very disadvantageous to have Spock speak with her. However, Khan was sure he had sunk his claws deep enough to easily rectify any undoing Spock could cause.

 

“Khan, I trust you can see yourself out,” said Spock.

 

Khan got to his feet without an argument. He gave a parting, “Ms. Cutler,” before leaving the room.

 

~

 

Kirk blinked awake. “Khan?” he murmured, reaching out for... something. It hit him what he had said. Immediately, he was wide awake with panic. “Bones?”

 

The doctor was before him in an instant, pushing Kirk back down and running a device over him. Kirk tried to bat it away, half heartedly. Bones, satisfied, pulled back. “Everything seems fine, though we should do a physical to make sure.”

 

Kirk groaned. “No physical. Have you figured anything out about my connection with Khan?”

 

“In the last three hours? No. I've been too busy looking over Green's dead body.”

 

“He's dead?”

 

“The M-113 team found him,” Bones informed, poking Jim with another device. “They brought Mr. Crater aboard. He's still refusing a medical exam. He needed to be put under suicide watch after Spock told him about Nan- the alien, and its death.”

 

“Bones...” Jim looked up at his friend, taking in the way he avoided all eye contact, movements mechanical. “I'm sorry about Nancy.”

 

“I would have let her kill you if Khan hadn't blocked her.” McCoy sighed, pulling the gloves from his hands. “I'll go see if I can figure out what's going on with you and Khan. Maybe someone with expertise on alien bonds can help. With over 400 people, we're bound to have someone like that on board.”

 

Kirk pushed to his feet, ignoring the look Bones was giving him. “I'm gonna go figure out what to do with Mr. Crater.”

 

“What you need is to rest. Half the salt was drained from your body.”

 

“Bones, I'm fine.” The way he half-stumbled to the door didn't earn him any points with the doctor. His head felt heavy, but it was nowhere near as bad as the hangovers he'd worked with in the past.

 

“As fine as a snail in a French restaurant,” Bones murmured.

 

~

 

Mr. Crater resided in a room with two guards watching over him. In his eyes was reflected the look of a man that had lost everything. He looked down at his lap, shoulders hunched, mumbling to himself.

 

“Mr. Crater?” Kirk asked. The man gave no sign that he had heard. “Mr Crater,” Kirk repeated, with more force.

 

The man glanced up, before quickly looking back at his hands. “Nancy... she's dead.”

 

“It was never Nancy to begin with. Something tells me you already knew this.”

 

Mr. Crater fidgeted. “Yes... yes, Nancy died a year ago. The Nancy I was living with was the last of her kind. Still, I cared for her deeply. All she wanted...” The man took a shaky breath, biting back a sob. “...was love and... and affection... She wasn't naturally a murderer, she was just trying to survive.”

 

Kirk eyed the man, keeping his perfect 'captain' composure and hiding his remaining dizziness. “We'll be passing by a space station on our way to Alpha 177, within five days time. There are other hu-”

 

“No!” Mr. Crater shook his head so hard, it appeared as if it would fall off. “No... I don't want to live. Just... please. Return me back to M-113.”

 

Kirk hesitated for a moment. “If that's what you want. We'll be leaving orbit in half an hour, so that's how long you have to change your mind.” He swiftly left the room, calling up Scotty to ready the transporter room.

 

~

 

At 2200 hours, Kirk was finally free to go off to bed. After the events of the day, he was more than ready to pass out. He had just laid down on his bed when he realized what was missing. Regretfully, he got back to his feet. “Khan?” he called. He peeked into the open-doored bathroom; under the bed; in the closet. Yes, Khan was definitely not there. Kirk had _explicitly_ stated an 1800 hour curfew. He pulled his PADD from his pocket, pulling up the appropriate program. Which punishment to use?

 

“What, did he think saving me means I won't enforce the rules?” The first punishment was the automatic one- the only one Khan had experienced, aside from 'losing his voice'. He decided to see what the second one would do, swiftly activating it. He ordered the PADD, “Find Khan.” It was synced to his tracker. If he was going to be deprived of sleep because of Khan, he would at least get some enjoyment out of it.

 

~

 

Khan paused as he made his way from (his second trip to) Elizabeth's room and back to Kirk's. Something was... wrong.

 

He grimaced at the sharp ringing filling his ears. His hearing was advanced, so it was only natural such a sound would bother him more than the few people passing around him. However, his mind was also advanced. He focused on tuning it out. It proved impossible, the sound penetrating deep into his skull. He experimentally placed a hand over each ear. The sound continued. His teeth began to hurt from unintentionally grinding them, as he considered ripping his ear drums from his head. _That wouldn't help if it's in my mind._

 

He leaned against the wall in a desperate attempt to stay upright, nails digging into his scalp as he slid down it. The sound wouldn't stop, penetrating all attempts at thought. Impossibly, the sound increased in pitch. He flinched away from the feel of a hand on his neck. He didn't need any more stimulation at the moment.

 

Slowly, the sound began to fade. He unclenched his jaw, lowering his hands from his head to his knees. Judging from the fading ache in the back of his head, he had been hitting it against the wall. He looked up into the curious eyes of Captain Kirk, ignoring the offered hand and getting to his feet on his own. He dusted himself off, perfecting his posture. Retaining as much dignity as he could.

 

“What was worth getting punished for?” asked Kirk.

 

“I forgot the curfew,” he said, waiting for the desired irritation-

 

“Bullshit,” said Kirk. “ _You_ wouldn't forget. Which means you were up to something.”

 

“Yes, a social gathering that caused me to lose track of time.” He gave a smile as sincere as his words, with the same intent. Anger was already building in the captain's eyes. _It's almost too easy to manipulate his emotions_.

 

Kirk pulled out his PADD, clicking a few things before giving a satisfied nod. “Alright. That should keep you from getting into trouble.”

 

 

 

~

 

Kirk rolled over in his bed, having a hard time sleeping with those damn eyes on him. Khan laid on the sofa-converted-to-a-bed beside Kirk's own big bed, staring at him almost unblinkingly. Kirk considered taking one of the little red pills Bones had given him, quickly dismissing the idea. He didn't want to be asleep beyond waking with Khan in the same room. The superhuman couldn't hurt him, but he could do other, _worse_ things...

 

It wasn't like he could _order_ Khan to stop looking at him. If Khan was any more smug his infuriating smirk might just become permanently stuck. But, even with his back turned, Kirk could _feel_ the ex-dictator's gaze. He glanced at the clock. 0200 hours.

 

“Ok, that's it,” he muttered, getting to his feet.

 

“Can't sleep?” Khan mocked. “Anything I could do to help you, _Captain_?”

 

“Yes, actually,” said Kirk. He gave Khan a handful of red pills. “Take these.”

 

“This would be enough to land you in sickbay.” Khan's lips quirked up at the corners. “Enjoy your half hour of undisturbed sleep.” It was with relief that he watched Khan place the entire handful into his mouth, face unreadable. He waited until-

 

Khan collapsed onto the sofa-bed, out cold. The captain hoped the 'half hour' was an over-exaggeration of Khan's abilities. One could knock a usual human out for six hours straight. He had given Khan ten.

 

~

 

Jim kept his eyes shut, even as he began to wake up. _Need more sleep..._ He sighed, pressing further into the hard surface beside him. It was all angles, yet somehow he found it... nice. Whatever it happened to be, it was warm, and being close to it sparked a sense of belonging. _I'll just peek a glance at the clock, and go back to sleep_. He opened his eyes, only to narrow them in an attempt to make out what he was seeing. A... very muscular chest? His eyes shot up, and he was looking into the _very_ amused face of Khan.

 

It took all his will to not jump from the bed. Khan kept doing things like this because of the reactions he got. If Kirk really wanted to stop it, he'd have to act... unaffected. How had he managed to sleep through Khan getting into the bed with him?

 

As if reading his mind, Khan said with no small amount of pleasure, “I slipped one of the pills into your mouth once I woke up. It seems putting you to sleep isn't seen as dangerous to this device on me.”

 

 _I was... He drugged me?_ At this, Kirk couldn't stop himself from pulling out of the strange mock-embrace Khan had trapped him in. Or, he tried to pull from it. Khan's arms were too strong to escape. “I could activate a punishment even without the PADD, you know.”

 

“By touching my collar? Your hands are trapped.”

 

Kirk grimaced. It was true- one hand was under Khan's side, and wouldn't budge. The other was held by Khan's left hand, tight enough to hold in place but loose enough to not hurt. He tried to move them- to 'force' Khan to hurt him- but Khan anticipated the movements, moving with Kirk's attempts and avoiding any damage. “Code 1-”

 

 _Oh god._ How could a man capable of so much damage have such soft lips? He turned his head, quickly speaking, “Code 1-5-”

 

As his voice was stifled by Khan's lips once more, it occurred to Kirk what the man was doing. Kirk allowed the questing tongue into his mouth, biting down with none-too-little satisfaction. Khan let out a sharp breath but didn't pull back. Coppery liquid was filling Kirk's mouth and he _couldn't think_. Could only suck on that tongue to get more of that tantalizing substance. He buried his hands in the soft, sleep-mussed locks of Khan's hair, tugging the man closer by the short strands.

 

 _My hands are free._ He couldn't quite place why that mattered, as his head spun with desire and something else. _Wrong... This is..._

 

He pried himself from the kiss, blood rushing in his ears and chest laboring with attempts at catching his breath. The sight of Khan almost made him give in again: pupils nearly swallowing his irises; a thin line of blood trailing from his mouth.

 

Instead of leaning in and cleaning the blood with his tongue, Jim pushed himself to his feet- away from temptation.

 

“The doctor is taking too long in fixing the mess he got us in,” said Khan, voice dark.

 

“You got us in it when you basically killed me,” said Jim, pulling out a pair of clean clothes for himself. He glanced at the clock, cursing at the time. 830 hours. He was supposed to be at the command deck 30 minutes ago. “Get dressed,” he ordered, purposely averting his eyes from the menace on his bed. “You're coming with me today.”

 

“I suppose that's a natural culmination to our actions,” Khan mused.

 

“What?” Kirk risked a glance at the brunette, but his face revealed nothing.

  

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> ScarrletRaven did quite a bit of betawork for me! Wanna thank her :) 
> 
> That said, any mistakes are purely my own (as I have ultimate say of what is or isn't in this). Feel free to report any to me that you see.

 

“Just... sit there. And don't touch anything.” Kirk pointed to an empty seat on the bridge. The young ensign that Khan sat beside visibly tensed, scooting away as far as he could while still performing his duty. Khan's easy compliance was anything but reassuring...

 

Kirk led Spock- who was already beside him- to the opposite side of the room.

 

“You arrived 45 minutes late, Captain. While you generally hold little regard for the rules, you're usually quite punctual.”

 

Kirk glanced over his shoulder. Khan was speaking to the ensign, who was now chattering with the superhuman. Dammit, Khan was collecting another pawn. “Khan held me up.”

 

“Standing here is as efficient in keeping Khan from hearing us as standing next to him would be,” Spock informed.

 

“I know, but... I don't want him out of my sight right now. Spock, I think there's something wrong with the Vulcan technology.”

 

Brows furrowed, Spock said, “It was thoroughly tested for bugs. How is it deficient?”

 

“He...  _drugged_ me. With one of McCoy's favorite little red sleeping pills. He shouldn't be able to do that.”

 

“The collar prevents him from harming and overtly threatening others. If he had attempted to put an unhealthy amount into your mouth, he would most likely become immobilized. Also, if the pill could somehow injure you, he wouldn't have been capable of drugging you,” said Spock. “Why did you not activate a punishment before he succeeded?”

 

“He did it when I was asleep. Those things dissolve in your mouth.”

 

“Might I suggest restraining him at night?”

 

“What restraints would hold him?” Kirk asked.

 

“Vulcans are stronger than humans. My strength nearly matches Khan's. I believe reinforced restraints made on New Vulcan could keep him restrained. Until we can retrieve these restraints, I suggest I keep watch over Khan.”

 

“I can handle it, Spock. I'll be fine.” Even as he said it, he was remembering his inexplicable draw towards the criminal. His near-inability to resist with even the slightest bit of blood introduced to the situation.

 

“He is affecting your performance, Captain.”

 

Kirk knew Spock wasn't just speaking of Kirk's lateness. He had been on edge ever since Khan had been placed under his watch. “...alright. But ask for the restraints right away. And I activated the leash setting, so I need to transfer it to you.” He turned, preparing to take his chair.

 

Looking every bit the leader he once was, Khan sat in the Captain's Chair as if he owned it. As if he _belonged_ in it.

 

“Khan, get out of my chair.”

 

“That's 'captain' to you.” Despite it being a mockery, the words were smooth as silk, wrapping around Kirk's speeding heart in a vice grip. Khan rose to his feet, saying loud enough for the navigation crew to hear, “Afraid you can't _control_ me captain? Or do you merely wish to see me tied to a bed?”

 

Kirk forced himself to ignore the superhuman, settling into his chair. He refused to be instigated when in front of his crew. He had an image to maintain. And besides, Spock already thought Kirk couldn't handle Khan.

 

“Mr. Sulu, full course ahead. We're to reach Starbase 15 in a few days time.”

 

~

 

As their lives now seemed tied, Khan had no desire to leave Jim's side for too long. The fragile, reckless human had very limited self-preservation skills. That aside, being attached to Spock had its advantages. If he was to escape, getting a further understanding of the Vulcan would be invaluable.

 

The third game of chess revealed that Spock was as mentally strong as he was physically. While Spock hadn't beaten him, two stalemates in a row was a blow to Khan's pride. Khan scanned his eyes over the 3D chess board, trying to outwit the Vulcan.

 

“Being under my watch will be of no benefit to you,” Spock stated, moving yet another piece. “Check.”

 

Khan moved his King. Whatever it took, he was going to win this game. “On the contrary. I've already gotten more mental stimulation in the last hour than the last week with Kirk.” He inserted a delicate pause for effect. “Did Jim tell you about how he forced himself on me this morning?”

 

Spock was clearly unconvinced, though Khan was sure his eyebrows had furrowed briefly at the word 'Jim'. “Check.” Was that a muscle tensed in Spock's jaw?

 

“No? He didn't tell you of how he bit me until I bled? Or how he dug his nails into my scalp hard enough to leave dried blood at the roots of my hair?” Khan offered his most unnerving smile as he took the knight threatening his king. “Checkmate.”

 

Dark brown eyes scanned over the boards, before a nod of assent was given. “You play a very stimulating game, Khan.”

 

Putting the whites back in place, Khan said, “Yes, but three games is my limit. I would much rather spar.” At the raised brow, he said, “I can't hurt you, but I _can_ practice non-combative defensive maneuvers.”

 

~

 

“What did you do, pour gasoline on him and drop a match?” Bones ran a machine over Khan's body. The usually impeccable man was hardly conscious, entire body a bright, blistered red.

 

“He recommended I test his resistance to our weapons aboard, as the stun gun has minimal effect on him. It appears even his body can't handle three kill shots in succession.”

 

McCoy looked up to see if the Vulcan was joking. “I thought our job was to rehabilitate him, not torture him. Granted, the latter makes more sense.” Even before his eyes, the red was fading, the readings gradually returning to normal.

 

If McCoy was any less experienced, he would have ended up jumping back in surprise. Instead, his eyes caught sight of the telltale twitch in muscles. Immediately, he had a hand pressing Khan down. Sharp blue eyes flew open, latching onto McCoy. “I assure you, I'm fine. My enhanced genetics allow me to heal at a superlative rate.”

 

“You're not healed yet.”

 

Khan raised a brow. “I suppose I'll be here for another few seconds.”

 

“Sarcasm won't get you out any faster.” Bones observed the stare Spock and Khan shared. Damn super-healing patients. “No. You aren't going back to the gym and 'testing' your limits again. You're going to go to the recreation room, have a snack, and then _peacefully_ return to your room. Doctor's orders. I better not see either of you again tonight.”

 

This time when Khan tried to get up, McCoy made no move to stop him. “I suppose you haven't made any progress on Kirk's and my... condition?”

 

“Not yet. No one seems to know anything about any 'blood bonds,'” said McCoy. “Are the symptoms getting worse?”

 

Khan seemed to be fighting with himself over something, before admitting, “Yes. Our attachment to one another is very unnatural.”

 

McCoy shouldn't have been amused, but the underlying meaning nearly made him laugh. “You feel the need to always be near him?”

 

Khan's silence said more than words.

 

Of course, remembering that the relationship was reciprocal wiped the smile straight from McCoy's face. It was likely Kirk felt such desires as well. “I'll keep looking. There has to be something somewhere about it.”

 

~

 

While the ship was being checked for damage and thusly repaired, a majority of the Enterprise crew took this opportunity to party it up. SB 15 was more of a small city than a 'Starbase'. A group of about 100 people made it their permanent residence. For astronauts, it was a break from the responsibilities and limitations of being on a ship 24/7.

 

Kirk was finishing off his second glass of Cardassian ale, when he eyed a pretty blond thing a few seats down the bar. 'Thing' being the key word, but it had a vague attractiveness to it.

 

“My, my, Captain. Anyone will do for you, won't they?”

 

Kirk scowled up at Khan. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I'm keeping him within six feet of me,” said Spock, Kirk just noticing the Vulcan.

 

“Then I'll be six feet _that_ way,” said Kirk, making his way towards Pretty Blond Thing.

 

~

 

“-and the Devidians? Yeah, they killed a lot of people. But sometimes they'd keep a person, feed off their energy, let it regenerate- create a kinda bond.”

 

Bones was trying to see the face of this man, who had spent the last half hour talking about alien and interspecies bonds. A small crowd was gathered around the man, his words drawing them in and hiding his appearance from McCoy.

 

“Oh, and the Ankari-”

 

“You already told us about them,” a girl broke in, leaning closer to the man. With the new angle, McCoy caught a glimpse of him. “Tell us more about the Devidians.”

 

 _Phillips_. He recognized the man, and even knew his name, but didn't remember ever meeting him. Perhaps he had been a patient in his sickbay once. Judging by the amount of alcohol Phillips was consuming, he'd be a patient again. McCoy would have an opportunity to talk to him the following day when back aboard the starship.

 

~

 

Khan watched on with amusement. Thanks to the book Elizabeth had given him, his knowledge on aliens had expanded quite a bit. He could scarcely wait for Kirk to arrive covered in fleas the following morning.

 

Kirk was wooing the thing like it was a normal human girl, and the creature's... face... was turning a light orange. Perhaps blushing? Kirk was leaning close, focused on the two gray eyes peeking out beneath thick strands of fur. Another being, this one humanoid with fairy-like wings folded against her back, was drawn in towards Kirk.

 

Kirk looked at _him-_ Khan- and smirked. As if it had never happened, he was fully engaged in conversation with the two females once more.

 

Before he could stop himself, Khan was making his way towards th-

 

He fell to the ground in a pile of trembling limbs. Before thought could leave him, his brain was tying things together. Leash setting... six feet...

 

~

 

It was 1500 hours when McCoy's sickbay was nearly cleared out. Kirk sat on a bed, scratching away.

 

“They only multiply if you scratch. You should really start researching species before sleeping with them,” McCoy said. “I told you to take a hot bath. A few hours and they'll be dead. Can't stand hot water or steam.”

 

“I know. I just... you said you might've found something,” said Kirk.

 

“Might have. Go take a bath, come back in a few hours, and I'll tell you if I've figured anything out.”

 

Kirk looked like he was about to argue, but the itchiness seemed to get the best of him. He swiftly left the room, no doubt wanting the biting insects off of himself.

 

McCoy went to the communicator panel. “Call Daniel Phillips.” There was a short ringing before a handsome face appeared on the other end.

 

“ _Urgh... yes?”_ asked the man, voice weak. _“I have a serious headache, so if it could wait-”_

 

“I need your expertise.”

 

“ _You do? Oh... ok, be right there.”_

 

'Be right there' ended up being an hour later. The man walked in, smelling strongly of the standard issued soap. Dark brown bangs fell over a pair of sunglasses. “Please speak softly,” the man said, pocketing the earplugs he had been wearing. “I've got a major hangover...”

 

McCoy guided the man to a bed, where Phillips relaxed with a pleased sigh. “So what aliens are we speaking of here?”

 

“Human,” McCoy said.

 

A brow could almost be seen raising behind the man's bangs. “Human? Human bonds are a psychologist's territory.”

 

“This is a very... unusual bond. I was wondering if you've heard of anything similar in other species.” McCoy hesitated, unsure how much to tell the man. “Actually, let's go to my office. This is private information.”

 

Only once McCoy had shut and locked the door did he begin to explain. “It's important you don't tell anyone about this.”

 

Phillips shrugged, brushing aside a few papers to sit on McCoy's work desk. “No prob, since I wouldn't say anything anyway.”

 

“...One of these humans is genetically enhanced-”

 

“Khan?”

 

“-and this person's blood brought a normal human back from the dead.”

 

Phillips was leaning forward, eyes wide behind dark frames. “That's possible?”

 

“It seems they've created a bond of some sort. The enhanced human feels the need to feed the other his blood, and the 'normal' human feels the need to drink it. They can feel when the other is close to death, and feel compelled to help.”

 

Phillips placed his sunglasses atop his head, revealing light gray eyes. “Have you heard of Olan'vora? The 'biochemical' bond of the Varro people?” McCoy shook his head. “When mating, they have a chemical reaction. The more they do it, the more solid it becomes, until it's unbreakable. The areas for love are stimulated in their brains, and they become linked.”

 

“I can assure you, these two are anything but in love.”

 

“Yes, well, this is something else entirely,” said Phillips. “Clearly, when this blood brought the person back to life, their body took to it like a drug. It gave the ultimate high- a return from death. The body went from stone-cold to flushed with life. If it was left at that, and they were separated from then on, they probably wouldn't even know anything was up. However, if they were to share blood again, it would only encourage the bond. I believe that, if it isn't already, the bond will become permanent if they continue to share blood. It's even possible they'll start to become biochemically connected, which explains being able to feel when the other is close to death.”

 

McCoy frowned. “How do we stop it from becoming permanent?”

 

“So long as they aren't biochemically tied yet, separation and no more blood sharing should do the trick. But from your description, it sounds as if it is. So, the only thing to do is determine the dominant party.”

 

“Dominant party?” McCoy repeated.

 

Phillips nodded. “The Varro bond is a give and take- no one's really 'more dominant' in a chemical sense. What you're speaking of isn't reciprocal. One gives and one takes. Which means,” he said, holding up two fingers, “it can go one of two ways. Either the blood-drinker becomes dominant and becomes a _taker_ , where they're in control of when blood is given or not; or, the blood-giver becomes dominant, and has control of when blood is given. Whoever's the most dominant has the strongest effect over the other, though of course they'll both effect one another.”

 

“And how is dominance gained?”

 

“It's not that difficult. One of them has to continue to force their will on the other until the dominance sticks.”

 

~

 

“I have to what?”

 

McCoy sighed. “I'm not saying you _have_ to. Just... you can't kill him, and you can hardly stand handing him over to Spock. This might be the only way.”

 

“So, what, I just have to spend the rest of my life with him?” Kirk demanded. “As his _slave_?”

 

“No, this is why it's good we figured it out,” said McCoy. “You have to assert your... dominance. It'll be easier since Khan can't fight back.”

 

“I don't want to be tied to him, Bones. You know what he did!” Every waking moment, tethered to that arrogant murderer?

 

...though, lately when around Khan, Pike was nowhere on his mind. If anything, thoughts of Pike were replaced with thoughts of _possession_. He actually preferred the righteous anger. It made sense. It was justifiable. This... this was just wrong.

 

Bones was supposed to come up with a cure, like he did for every ailment Jim had had since working with him. “Can you keep looking?” Kirk asked.

 

“Of course. For now, you could use an old-fashioned cure-all.”

 

Before Kirk could ask, he was being poured a glass of whiskey. “They taught you this at the academy?” Kirk teased.

 

McCoy took a sip from his own glass. “It comes intuitively.”

 

While McCoy didn't always have a _cure_ , he did always have a way to relieve the symptoms. At least for a little while.

 

 

~

 

“I told you I wouldn't associate with you again.”

 

Elizabeth ignored Daniel Phillips, pressing past him so she was in his room. She wrinkled her nose as the overpowering scent of sex hit her. He had washed himself, but his room still stank from his activities from the night before. “I wanted to make sure things went as planned.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. So long as the captain has the balls to go through with it, Khan shouldn't be too much of a danger.” He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Don't see how subduing him will subdue his crew, though.”

 

Elizabeth shook her head. “You don't understand. He's the leader. They love and respect him. If Kirk has control of Khan, then he also has control of Khan's crew.”

 

“Your problem is thinkin' you're smart. Khan's better than us. He'll outthink this somehow.” He ran a hand through styled-to-look-messy locks. “You said you found where his crew is, while on SB15?”

 

“I had Wilson do it, actually. It can't be tied to me at all. It can't be tied to _you_. He says Khan's been sitting beside him on the bridge recently, so he's going to be the one to tell him.”

 

“You're makin' a mistake, Liz', and you know it. He can't be controlled. He can't be _tamed._ I won't report you, obviously, but... I won't be doing anything else for you. I don't want anyone to catch on to me having a part in this.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phillips and Wilson actually exist in TOS! Phillips was mentioned but never seen, and Wilson only got a short scene.  
> http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Phillips  
> http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Wilson
> 
> Also, Olan'vora is realsauce. Awesome, right?  
> http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Olan%27vora


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Khan plots. The transporter malfunctions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thank you so much for all the support! :D This chapter is inspired by and takes quite a few things from TOS episode "The Enemy Within".
> 
> I apologize in advance that I can't do Scotty's accent. It eludes me D:

 

Khan was up before Spock, forcing himself to stay still despite the weakness of the bonds holding him to the sofa-bed. Spock knew they wouldn't hold Khan. Psychological play was what kept him there.

 

“ _If you break these bonds, you will not leave this room until the restraints from New Vulcan are obtained. I will leave Punishment Setting One on for 20 hours of every day until that time,_ ” Spock had said. Khan made a mental note to keep Spock alive for 'special treatment' when he finally retrieved his crew.

 

It was three minutes later when Spock stirred, at 6 AM. He slept beneath two thick blankets in the 74 degree room. Khan attributed it to Vulcan's having a higher heat tolerance and lower cold tolerance (or so Elizabeth's book had told him). Thinking of Elizabeth, he wondered if she had succeeded. She had refused to find his crew while aboard the enterprise, insisting she would get caught. Instead, she had Ensign Wilson do it for her on the Starbase, on a borrowed computer. Apparently the technician was a skilled hacker. She insisted his crew would be moved if they were caught, but he knew the truth- she wasn't mindlessly obedient. This made her both very valuable and very dangerous. He'd have to keep an eye on this one...

 

...if Spock ever undid his restraints. Khan was made to wait until Spock had finished dressing and grooming, as usual. "I assume you leave me here until you're finished because of your activities. Are you 'taking care of yourself', so you can control yourself in front of your precious captain?"

 

Spock released him without a spark of emotion on his face. “There is only room for one in the bathroom. You have precisely 30 minutes to get ready.”

 

~

 

Khan was sitting in his designated spot in the Bridge (rereading the book he had already memorized) at 7:58 hours when Wilson sat beside him. The young man fidgeted, running a hand over his buzzed black hair. Khan made a point of ignoring him. What the man had to say would be pivotal for his plan. Saying it when it was only the two of them and Spock would ruin everything.

 

The feel of eyes on him was enough to make him turn around. Jim was looking at him with obvious indecisiveness. He took a step in Khan's direction, the superhuman finding himself _wanting_ the captain to come closer.

 

Kirk shook his head, as if to clear it, before taking the Captain's Chair. “Alright. We're supposed to reach Alpha 177 by 900 hours.”

 

Khan felt a nudge to his right, looking over. Wilson had his PADD on the desk, facing Khan.

 

 _Sol IV (Mars)_. _Couldn't get more than that._

 

So his crew was being kept within the Sol system. He couldn't say he was surprised. Of course the Federation wanted to keep there _mistake_  hidden within their own space territory. He gave Wilson a nod, the young man immediately clearing the word document. They proceeded to do as they usually did: engage in conversation about technology and machines while Wilson did his job.

 

Even while he conversed, he was plotting in the back of his mind. He would need to deactivate his collar, knock Kirk out, obtain control of a ship, and find a way to Mars. Taking control of the enterprise was out of the question. Elizabeth couldn't be trusted to do anything that would hurt her fellow crewmen, and he didn't have enough leverage to get the crew to help him operate the ship. It wasn't the Vengeance- it needed many people to run. Without being able to threaten Kirk's life, he had to take a different path.

 

He knew the equation for the device that teleported him all the way from Earth to Kronos, but was unsure if he could get the spare parts and the time to build one without being discovered. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to take a shuttle-pod and figure out where to go from there. He would keep plotting in the back of his mind, revising his plan until it was the best he could get.

 

He already knew how he was going to deactivate the collar. For it to work, though, he'd need to be under Kirk's watch.

 

~

 

Kirk fidgeted in his seat, resisting the urge to glance at the superhuman in the room. He couldn't stop thinking about him. Not even night allowed him reprieve, dreams flooded with the most obscene of images. Upon waking, he found himself reaching out, calling the damn man's name, appalled with himself as he finally stopped grasping at empty air.

 

He was pretty sure this was what McCoy meant about being 'dominated.' Khan didn't seem _nearly_ as effected. At this rate, Kirk was going to be under Khan's control. He couldn't stop a shiver at the thought; at the feel of that not being a _bad_ thing. He had to take control before it was too late. He would wait until they got the restraints, and keep from being alone with Khan in the meantime. No matter how desperately he desired to do otherwise.

 

It was half an hour later that they reached Alpha 177. Kirk set up a team of himself, Sulu, and four ensigns to go down.

 

Before they readied the transporter room, Spock had Khan follow him from the room. While Khan was going to be allowed to roam the ship during this time, he was to be kept out of both the bridge and the transporter room.

 

When Kirk landed on the planet, his long-sleeved shirt did nothing to help with the heat. “We're here to collect specimens to examine aboard. Everyone, get to work.” He looked over the desert surroundings, wishing for some shade.

 

“It's hard to believe it gets sub-zero at night,” said one of the ensigns, collecting spherical red rocks into a container.

 

“We should be back before night hits,” said Kirk. “That gives us five hours.”

 

A loud yelp, followed by an unpleasant _thud,_ met Kirk's ears. He ran to the site of the sound, relieved as he saw Ensign Carrel sitting upright on the ground. It appeared nothing too bad had happened. His arm looked broken, but that wasn't anything Bones couldn't deal with. “Beam up and check in with the doctor,” he ordered.

 

His expertise wasn't in geology, so his job here was done. Once the ensign had beamed up, Kirk followed suit.

 

...Was the world supposed to spin like that? He flung out his arms in an attempt to balance himself as he tripped. Strong arms quickly steadied him. He offered his first officer a weak smile. “Thanks. Just feeling a bit... dizzy.”

 

“It would be best if you checked in with Doctor McCoy,” said Spock.

 

“Ah, yeah,” Jim replied, managing to steady himself. “I'll go do that.” Spock proceeded to leave the room. Scotty was saying something to the technician, who swiftly left. “What's going on?” Jim asked.

 

“The transporter seems a wee bit off, sir,” he said. He must have noticed Jim's near-stumble, because he was quickly at his side, leading him out of the room. “I'll take you to your room for now.”

 

“Someone should remain here and watch things.”

 

“The technician will be right back, sir, no worries.”

 

~

 

A few seconds later, the transporter began to turn on once more, a figure appearing on one of the six transporter spots. He looked around at the empty room, frowning to himself.

 

The door flew open, an ensign entering with a machine of some sort in his hands. “Hello, Captain,” he greeted.

 

'Kirk' stared at the ensign, not responding. Something was... different. He felt like a different person entirely. He felt _free_. He was halfway out the door when the ensign said, “Sir, is everything alright?”

 

Kirk offered the boy a reassuring smile, wondering why it caused the ensign to flinch. But who cared about the ensign? There were more important things to do than stand around here.

 

He swiftly made his way to the sickbay, grinning as he saw McCoy. Kirk disregarded Carrel, even as he was addressed by him. “Bones, just the man I was looking for. Give me some Saurian Brandy.”

 

Instead of complying as any good subordinate should, McCoy ushered Carrel from the room.

 

“My Brandy,” Kirk repeated.

 

“Jim, are you-”

 

Kirk shoved his friend against the wall, straightening himself to appear taller than Bones. Staring fiercely down at the man, he said, “I want Saurian Brandy. _Give it to me_.” A bottle was shoved into his hands, the doctor jerking away without taking his eyes from Kirk. Kirk lifted it up in a 'cheers' gesture, trying to offer a reassuring smile. Once more, it seemed to have the opposite reaction as to what he had intended. McCoy was staring at him with furrowed brows, looking at Kirk like he was a foreign entity.

 

Kirk didn't take the time to delve deeper, leaving the room with a skip to his step. He downed a third of the big bottle in a single gulp, sighing with pleasure. He had his brandy, he had his crew. Now all he needed was his Khan. Spock had had his turn with Kirk's property. Now it was time to reclaim it. He checked his PADD to find his superhuman's location.

 

~

 

Jim got up from his bed with a frustrated groan. “I'm never sleeping again,” he said to himself. Not like staying awake was any better. _I want Khan_ , he thought, resting his head in his hands. He closed his eyes, imagining strong hands pushing him back onto the bed, a knife slicing through the alabaster skin above him... but it wasn't enough. Imagination would never be enough to match that superior man. The only thing that would help was the one thing he couldn't do. Not yet. He couldn't see Khan right now. _I could just... visit him. And then leave. Just a few seconds. That's all._

 

He barely heard the buzz of the door, giving a passive, “Come in.” Spock entered the room, looking Jim over as if expecting to see something strange. At his side was Carrel, covered in the blacks and blues of fresh bruises. Perhaps his injuries had been worse than Jim had realized.

 

“Captain. Dr. McCoy told me you were acting unlike yourself,” said Spock.

 

“Unlike myself?” Jim repeated. “But... I haven't seen him since I've been back on the ship.”

 

Spock was silent for a moment. “...he said you demanded Saurian Brandy and used force until he gave it to you. Mr. Carrel claims you took him down and stole his hand phaser in the hall.”

 

Jim raised a brow at that. “Ask Scotty. He escorted me here himself. I've just been resting.”

 

“No, sir, I swear, it was you!” said Carrel. “Called me by name and everything!”

 

Now _that_ was unexpected. “I know I was here.”

 

Spock's communicator rang, and he quickly answered. “Spock here. ... Understood.” When he hung up, he said, “Captain, Mr. Scott has something he would like us to see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Kirk may seem outta character, but I figure being split into opposite extremes gives it some credence. Especially with how weird he was in the TV show when it happened o.0
> 
> The next chapter's gonna have more excitement. Already got it mostly written out, just need to edit it and add another scene or two.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again :) I believe this chapter will be more exciting than the last one. Some lines are taken/ modified from TOS: The Enemy Within. So, if you recognize something... it's most likely not mine.

 

Khan kept himself perfectly still as eyes and hands traced over his chest. It brought no pleasure to him, but her attempts to 'study his biology' were most definitely pleasing to _her_. Cheeks aflame, she continued to do little more than feel him up. He was, he would admit, surprised that she hadn't started peeling all of his clothes off. Probably guilt from knowing her actions had no true scientific purpose behind them. This interaction with her was necessary for his plan, if he was to-

 

The hands were gone. Khan watched with curiosity as Kirk glared at Elizabeth. He must have used his Captain's bypass to get in. “You can leave now.”

 

“Captain!” she exclaimed, face a burning red. “I- I can explain, it's...he's...”

 

“ _Mine_ ,” Kirk cut in. “He's mine.”

 

Khan was bewildered. He thought it would take a lot more than simple jealousy to make the captain crack.

 

Kirk took a threatening step towards Elizabeth. She trembled, but held her ground. She said, voice coming out with only the slightest of shakes, “Prove it.”

 

This, Khan was not expecting. Elizabeth was clearly attracted to him, yet she was verbally pushing Kirk onto him.

 

Kirk gave a big grin, eyes positively feral. “Oh, I will. You can watch, if you want, but lock the door and keep out of my way.”

 

Kirk turned those hungry, beast-like eyes on Khan. Voice dangerous, Kirk said, “I'm going to have you, Khan.”

 

“Can you no longer resist me, Captain?” Khan mocked. He raised a brow as his shoes were slipped off. When Kirk started examining them- inside and out- Khan realized what Kirk was doing. “You took my knife from me,” he reminded.

 

Kirk made a sound of triumph, pulling out the steak knife Khan had recently stolen from the recreation room. “Knew you'd have another.”

 

Khan locked eyes with Elizabeth, wondering what she would do. She punched a code into her door, swiftly slipping out.

 

Sharp pain brought his attention to the crazed, knife-wielding man above him, as he was cut down his chest. He smirked up at him. “Is that the best you've got, _Captain_?”

 

Kirk took his words as a dare. “I know this is what you want. What we've both wanted, for so long.” He sighed, almost dreamily. The sharp knife was lowering towards Khan's face, which was _not_ going to be tolerated. With this strange mood, Kirk might just jab his eyes out. He was unsure if an entire eyeball could grow back and didn't want to find out. He gripped the wrist before the knife could reach him, flipping them over so Kirk had his back to the bed.

 

Kirk actually  _growled_ at him. Between bared teeth, he said, “You will flip us back over and let me do whatever the hell I want to do to you. You'll _take_ whatever you're _given_.”

 

Khan just continued to hold Kirk in place, raising a brow at him. “If you desire my blood so badly, you only need ask.”

 

Khan caught the knee before it could hit his crotch, but not the words before they could hit his collar. His limbs gave out, mind barely registering as the knife sliced through his hand as he collapsed on top of Kirk, thoughts jumbling around his head.

 

He slowly came back to himself as the punishment was undone. He could feel the soft bedding under him, breath stifled as his face was pressed into the sheets. He testingly lifted his head.

 

A hand shoved his face back down. “Move and I'll activate another punishment, and do whatever I want anyway.”

 

“This is unlike you. What would your dear Vulcan think?” Contrary to his hopes, his blanket-muffled words went ignored. Perhaps Kirk had been drugged? His analysis of the captain's character told him this scenario was impossible.

 

He was shirtless, but still had his pants on. He nearly flinched at the feel of the cold blade on his neck. Sharp teeth bit into his ear, a husky voice sending unwilling shivers down his spine. “I'm going to give you what we've both been wanting.”

 

He closed his eyes as the skin on the back of his neck was split. Somehow, not seeing Kirk only enhanced the sensations. A mouth was latching onto his neck. He relished the feel of a deft tongue swiping over the mark, digging into the cut to collect more blood.

 

Khan was supposed to be on top. Khan was supposed to be taunting Kirk with his blood. Khan was-

 

He barely held back from crying out, body acting without his consent. He pressed into the knife cutting down the left of his face. Crimson poured down into his vision, staining the bedsheets. The tangy scent filled his head, and he breathed a sigh of pleasure as Kirk made sure to thoroughly 'kiss' the wound better, pausing to whisper into Khan's ear, “Will you behave?”

 

~

 

“Two?” Jim asked.

 

“Aye, Captain.” Scotty held a dog-like creature in his arms. “We beamed it up from the planet, and a duplicate... no, an _opposite_ appeared right after. One docile, one aggressive.” He lifted the top of a bin, revealing a growling, ferocious little dog-creature. “At this rate, we won't be able to beam up the team down there. It's fast approaching night.”

 

“Captain,” said Spock, gathering Jim's attention. “I believe the incidents Dr. McCoy and Mr. Carrel spoke of could be related.”

 

“You think I was split into two, like that animal?” he asked.

 

“Precisely.”

 

“I should warn the crew.” Jim made his way to his seat, where he could mass-communicate with everyone on deck. “I'll tell them I was duplicated. They'll understand, they're a good crew.”

 

“Captain.” The sharp tone caused Jim to pause and listen to his first officer. “As the captain, you cannot be viewed as vulnerable to the crew. You would lose your respect, and your command.”

 

Jim blinked. “Oh... yeah, that's true.” He sighed, shoulders drooping. “I don't know why I forgot that...”

 

“It appears that you are being effected by the split.”

 

“Yes... we need to find him. A ship-wide search would be good. But we can't let him be killed. He's a part of me.” Jim returned to his Captain's Chair, turning on the Mass Communication system. “This is the captain speaking.”

 

~

 

 _I'm in control. I'm superior_. _I was created stronger and smarter than this inferior-_

 

Khan could control little more than his mental dialogue, his body nothing but an instrument for Kirk to play. It had to be something to do with the bloodbond. There was no other explanation for how every cut, every mouthful of blood taken from him, chipped away at his control.

 

“ _This is the captain speaking._ ”

 

Kirk paused at that. A few deep breaths steadied Khan enough to listen.

 

“ _There is an imposter aboard. He looks like me. I'll be wearing a green shirt so you can tell us apart. If you have any doubt that it's me, take him down. Ensigns one to forty, report to Mr. Spock for grouping.”_ The comm turned off. Kirk's eyes were narrowed. The comm turned back on. “ _...um... right, do not kill him. Set your guns to stun. Only use force if necessary_.”

 

Khan eyed the man above him. Kirk was vibrating, he was so angry. “I. Am. The. Captain! Not him! _Me_!” He glared down at Khan. “ _I'm_ the one that owns you. _I'm_ the one that commands this ship. It's mine, you're mine, the crew's mine!” Khan found his face being held in a grip that would be crushing, were he anyone else. Lips captured his own, fierce blue nearly boiling over. Khan was not to be outdone, returning what couldn't be called a kiss with even more force, teeth clacking and drawing blood.

 

He didn't know what was going on, but this was definitely James T. Kirk above him. He was different than Khan had ever seen him, but Khan's own reactions to Kirk were proof enough. Only with their strange, overwhelming 'bond' would he tangle his hand in Kirk's hair, yank him as close as he could get him, and place the nigh-forgotten knife back into Kirk's hand. They pulled away far enough to see each other clearly. A madness filled Kirk's eyes. “Mine.”

 

Khan didn't respond, waiting to see what the crazed captain would do next. If Kirk did something he'd regret, Khan could use that against him. Shame and guilt were powerful emotions.

 

The door slid open.

 

Kirk shot Khan a firm look. “Stay.” He turned to the doorway. Despite the order (or, more correctly, in spite of it), he sat up to get a look at the intruder. It was... Kirk? The imposter? This one wore a blinding neon-green shirt. Eyes widened as the Kirk-look-alike took in the scene. “God. What did you... did I...” He turned his gaze to his red-shirted doppelganger, stepping forward so the door closed behind him. “What did you do?”

 

“You,” red-shirt Kirk hissed, “need to disappear, if I'm to stay here. You've sent them after me.”

 

Green-Shirt, who Khan decided to just mentally call 'Jim', put his hands up as if to calm Red Shirted 'Kirk' down.

 

“Intriguing,” said Khan, getting to his feet and catching the attention of both Kirk and Jim. “It appears you're both James Kirk, but opposite sides of him.”

 

“When did I say you could stand up?” Kirk demanded.

 

“He's a human,” said Jim, affronted. “Not a dog.”

 

“Yes, but...” Kirk trailed off with words, but his smirk and eyes seemed to silently tell the rest to Jim. Before Jim could respond, Kirk was saying, “Code 1-5-2.”

 

~

 

“You need to control yourself until the transporter's fixed,” Jim insisted. He glanced at Khan, cringing at the sight. He needed to protect the superhuman from this dark version of himself; to help Khan in any way he could after such an injustice. Khan didn't deserved to be treated like some inferior being.

 

He almost cringed again as his thoughts registered. He knew he should have stayed away.

 

Kirk ripped Jim from his internal dialogue, saying, “I'll do as I please. I'm the captain.” He took a step forward, backing Jim into the wall and placing a hand on either side of his head. Trapping him. Eyes much too dark to be his own gleamed down at him, mischief shining in the depths. “I don't need you.”

 

Jim cried out as a hand encircled his throat, the sound cut off with his airway. He scratched and clawed and yanked at the hands choking him, but to no avail. His vision becoming fuzzy, he latched one of his own hands onto his double's throat, squeezing as hard as he could. The grip on him loosened, briefly, just long enough for Jim to draw in a shaky breath. With the little energy he had left, he shoved Kirk and ducked past.

 

While being tackled back to the floor, Jim got out, “Release Khan of his punishment!” For once he regretted that undoing the punishment was intentionally made more lengthy than the words for activating it. He didn't have long to bemoan that, knees soon digging into his stomach. A hand gripped his short locks, slamming his head against the ground until the world began to blur. “Khan,” he whimpered, though he knew there was little the superhuman could do.

 

All the breath was forced from him as Kirk collapsed atop him. He pushed his double off of him, looking up at McCoy. An empty syringe was in his hand. “Thank you,” he said, accepting the hand offering to help him up.

 

“We should get you to the sickbay. He did quite a number on you,” said Bones. Jim looked down at himself, taking in the numerous bruises. Now that he wasn't defending his life, a deep ache had settled into his muscles.

 

The sudden presence of Khan beside him gave him comfort. _I'm way too attached to him_... Khan was examining Jim like a piece of damaged equipment, both with his hands and eyes. “Hey,” Jim said, trying to whack away the hands. “That's Bones' job. And Bones, how'd you find me?”

 

“Khan called me,” said McCoy, gesturing to the wall-communicator, “while you were fighting with yourself.”

 

Khan was focused on Jim's neck, where there was likely a ring of bruises. The captain winced as he took in the dried blood all over Khan's handsome face; all over perfectly sculptured arms and a still-bare chest. The man at his feet- the man that was a part of him- had caused these injuries.

 

“Stop feeling each other up and help me get this man to sickbay,” quipped McCoy. Jim quickly tore himself from the warm hands doing more than just checking for injuries, helping McCoy lift Jim's other half.

 

They were soon in the sickbay, Kirk strapped to a bed and Jim scanned to make sure he was healthy. “Any luck with fixing the transporter?” Jim asked.

 

McCoy shook his head. “No, and the temperature on Alpha 177 keeps dropping. We don't dare bring anyone up in fear they'll duplicate like you did.”

 

“Well... maybe Khan could take a look,” Jim suggested, looking at the superior man. “Then we could put me back together.”

 

Khan had been silent the entire trek to the sickbay, not taking his eyes off of Jim. “On one condition.”

 

“You're lucky to be on this ship, instead of stuck in a cryo-”

 

Jim swiftly cut the good doctor off. “What is it?”

 

Khan moved so he was in front of Jim, a mere three inches between them. Jim shivered as that deep voice washed over him, “Allow me to heal you.” He swallowed heavily, thoughtlessly nodding.

 

“Jim,” McCoy scolded. “I have the technology to heal you.”

 

It was more than just wanting to be the one to fix Jim up. It was a subtle reminder of the precarious balance of power in the blood bond.

 

“I accept, if you let me cut you,” said Jim, not taking his eyes from Khan's. That should at least somewhat appease Bones. Khan handed over the knife he must have recollected before leaving Elizabeth's room. Khan wrapped his own hand around the one Jim held the knife in, guiding it to his chest. Swallowing heavily, Jim mentally cursed the fact they hadn't thought to give Khan a shirt since returning. If not to hide the large amount of dried blood, at least to hide the gorgeous sight.

 

The knife may have been in his hand, but it was Khan doing the cutting. Jim could feel his heart pounding in his chest, near-deafening in its pace, as red spilled out from the wound. A hand pressed to the back of his head, pressing him so his mouth was directly above Khan's right pectoral. He inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering with his desire. He pressed his tongue to a single droplet of blood.

 

He didn't know quite how it happened, and he didn't have the will to care. He was pressed as closely to Khan as he could be, sucking and licking up the blood. The hand holding his head in place left him dizzy with need. The wound was healing. The blood was disappearing beneath his greedy mouth.

 

More. He needed more of this. Of Khan.

 

As if hearing his thoughts, the hand shifted to Jim's chin, pulling him up into a bruising kiss. He moaned into Khan's mouth, hands grappling for purchase on the hard lines of the superhuman's back.

 

“For goodness sake, control yourselves! You're acting like a couple of horny teenagers!”

 

Jim barely managed to pull back at the sound of his friend's voice, gasping for breath as he gazed into the heated blue eyes mere inches from his own. “I... I can't help it. Bones, I can't...”

 

Khan stepped back, his eyes not leaving Jim's. “Are you any closer to finding a cure, Doctor?”

 

Jim couldn't see McCoy when incapable of looking away from Khan, but imagined he had shaken his head. “Keep coming up blank. No one knows anything about it. Best I got was a reference to the Olan'Vora of the Varro people. Didn't seem to be of much help, though.”

 

“I read of them. You are correct, it is of very limited help.” Khan moved his gaze to the door, and Jim could suddenly breathe again. “Take me to the site of the malfunction.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crazysauce. Lol. Whatcha think?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I took a number of lines from TOS, which I don't own.
> 
> I appreciate all the support ^-^ Here's another chapter! Hope you enjoy :)

 

The problem was purely physical. A part of the connective transporter wires had been damaged and mangled. This, Khan didn't have to figure out on his own. Mr. Scott showed it to him. It took him 15 minutes to have it fixed, mostly as he had to have the correct pieces and people gathered. Everything on this ship seemed to require teamwork. 

 

He was exiting the room where the newly-fixed wires were located, when he ran into Jim and the doctor. “The transporter should be working again,” he informed. He raised a brow when Jim grasped one of his hands, tangling their fingers as if he needed to be as close as he could. Khan most definitely did _not_ tighten the grip, and if he did... it was purely for manipulation purposes. “Come on. We might need your help if things don't go right.”

 

“Maybe then you'll stop clinging onto each other,” McCoy muttered. 

 

~

 

Jim observed the two dog creatures being placed on a single transporter pad. Spock was casting Jim a disapproving look. Well, his eyebrows were a bit furrowed, but Jim had learned to read what others saw as an emotionless mask. The look was probably because he was still holding hands with Khan.

 

Holding hands with Khan? No, Jim was just making sure Khan stayed where he could see him. That was all.

 

He eyed his double, tranquilized in a corner. If this worked, he'd be combining back with that man. Would he gain all of his memories? He hoped not.

 

The small creatures were beamed down, and then beamed back. McCoy approached the newly-whole creature, pressing his fingers through its fur. “It's dead.”

 

Jim fidgeted in place. “What are we going to do?”

 

Bones sighed, standing with the animal in his arms. “We can't send you down. I'll perform an autopsy, but... Jim, it's not looking good.”

 

Spock stepped forward. “The animal died of shock. Captain, it doesn't have the intelligence to understand what happened to it. If you go through, you will be able to cope and live.”

 

“If I die, you can just give me some of Khan's blood,” Jim joked, glancing at said augment at the sudden tightening on his hand. 

 

“If you die,” said Khan, words measured, “I may not be alive to give you my blood.”

 

“Oh... right. Tied and all.” It wasn't just his life on the line. It was the men's below. It was _Khan's_. 

 

“However,” Khan added, “you have my blood in your system right now. It may keep you from dying.”

 

“Whatever your decision is, you need to make it fast,” said Scotty. “The men down there don't have much longer.”

 

“The men down there are going to die anyway if it doesn't work. There's no reason to have you die on top of it. There's no proof that the creature died of shock,” reasoned McCoy.

 

“I assure you that the creature died of shock. I have a Vulcan and human side, constantly at war. My intellect allows them to function together. The animal didn't have the ability to reason. The Captain will live.”

 

Jim tried frantically to think of the best option as Bones and Spock argued. “I can't... I can't decide. Someone decide for me. _Please_.”

 

“Are you relinquishing your command?” asked Spock.

 

Relinquishing his command? Giving up the position of Captain over his precious _Enterprise_? “No. I'm not.”

 

Apologetically, Bones said, “Then we can't help you.”

 

Jim looked at Khan, resisting the urge to beg him for help instead. “I...” He couldn't choose. No way. Couldn't... He couldn't give up his command. He couldn't live like this. “Grab my other half. Bones, go do an autopsy.” There. The autopsy was pointless if he was just going to go through with it, but at least he didn't _really_ have to choose. Sort of. Maybe. 

 

Instead of leaving, McCoy handed the creature to an ensign with instructions to bring it to the sickbay. 

 

With an effort, Jim released Khan's hand. He gathered his double into his arms (or, more correctly, wrapped his arms around his double's waist and struggled to hold the man upright), standing on the transporter pad. It felt strange, holding his own body against himself. “Ready.”

 

~

 

James T. Kirk stumbled off of the transporter pad. The hands steadying him left him feeling at ease, and he leaned into the person. He turned to thank them. Though he should have been surprised at seeing it was Khan, he wasn't. More than anything, he was surprised at the fact he had sensed the superhuman. “We're screwed, aren't we?” he joked.

 

“Very much so.” Despite his steadying actions, Khan's voice reflected how deeply perturbed he was. He kept his gaze straight ahead, not even glancing at Kirk. 

 

“C'mon, let's get you to sickbay so I can check your health,” said Bones. 

 

Kirk waved him off, straightening himself: lifting his chin, pushing his shoulders back. He was the captain, and he had to act like one. “We need to beam the men on Alpha 177 back up. They'll need your help.” He redirected his attention to his first officer. “Spock, I'll be taking Khan back under my watch.” At the instant attempt at reasoning, Kirk raised a hand to stop him. “If there're any problems, I'll put him back under your watch. Khan has demonstrated that he is capable of cooperating.”

 

He doubted his reasoning fooled anyone, but they let it go. For now. 

 

“Khan, take me to my room,” he ordered. There was no verbal response, but Khan accompanied Kirk on the trek to his quarters. He could only guess his superhuman was deep in thought, eyes focused on some nonexistent spot in the distance.

 

_**My** superhuman? _

 

~

 

They had shared too much blood. Khan's thoughts kept going back to that. Something was wrong with him, and that was the only logical excuse. He was not naturally submissive. They would stop sharing blood, and this would pass.

 

A niggling voice in the back of his head told him he was wrong. If it would just fade, why hadn't the bond faded in the slightest when they hadn't shared blood for a few days? He wondered if he'd even be able to escape with the ever-increasing bond.

 

_I will escape, just as planned_ , he assured himself. _I merely have to subdue Kirk during that time._

 

“I have memories from both halves,” Jim informed. He was sitting on his bed, expression indistinguishable. Khan doubted Jim even knew what he was feeling, himself. 

 

Was Kirk at the tipping point? Confused by his own conflicting actions? If there was ever a time to press, it would be now. He stepped towards the captain, towering over him. Tone cruel, he said, “Did you enjoy the power you held over one as strong as me? Forcing yourself onto such a superior being?”

 

“Yes,” Kirk deadpanned, and Khan didn't know what to think of that response. Then, a spark appeared in Kirk's eyes, lips quirking up at the corners. “You sure seemed to enjoy it.”

 

There had to be a way to benefit from this situation. Khan just had to find it. He could encourage the bond and further tie Kirk to himself, since he had to bring the blond along with him anyway. While Kirk would be possessive, he would also be _protective_. It was possible he'd fight his own crew if they endangered Khan (though improbable that he'd go against them altogether). He could let Kirk be dominant for now, and switch the situation when his collar was off*. If anything, this would aid him in disabling his collar.

 

Yes, he would play along. He would lull Jim into a false sense of security, believing he had control over Khan. Maybe even cause shame and cognitive dissonance for Kirk. Then, Khan would pull the rug out from beneath Jim's feet, leaving him on his knees before Khan.

 

His thoughts had only taken half a second, despite their depth. To test this new situation, he stared straight into Jim's pretty blue eyes and purred, “I've told you before that I want you.”

 

A deep hunger settled over Kirk's face. “Prove it.” 

 

The same words Elizabeth had spoken. A dare. However, Khan wasn't so easily manipulated. This was his game. He took a few steps back, smirking at the confusion he evoked. “I'd rather see how long you can resist me.”

 

Kirk got to his feet, stepping so close Khan could feel the warmth of Kirk's breath against his face. Barely above a whisper, he said, “We'll see who gives in first.” 

 

All Khan had to do was outlast Kirk. He could do this. He had control over his own actions. 

 

~

 

An hour after Kirk had fallen asleep, Khan got up from the sofa-bed and snatched Kirk's PADD from the nightstand. He had seen, over Jim's shoulder, what the password was. He pressed a few things until he got to a list.

 

_Khan_. He clicked on the file. Within were two more files. _Images_ and _Behavior Modification_. He clicked on the latter. There were multiple more files. He clicked on _Punishments_. As he looked over what was within, he was surprised how much Jim had chosen _not_ to do to him. Jim could practically make Khan do anything, if he really wanted to. 

 

Fifteen different types of punishments. That seemed... very excessive, but it would make things easier. After a few minutes, he managed to view the device's code. As he had expected, there was a safeguard so only certain punishments could be used together. It took him 15 minutes to get rid of the safeguard. Satisfied, he erased all evidence of what he had done, setting the PADD back where he had found it.

 

“What are you doing?” Jim's voice was husky with sleep. It was unlikely Khan had been discovered. As a cover, he settled into the bed beside Kirk. This was not going to help him in their little game, but it would likely erase any suspicion from the captain's mind. “I expected you to resist a little longer,” Jim teased.

 

“I'm not the one trying to cuddle,” Khan replied. Jim had all but molded himself to Khan's form. 

 

“I'm just making sure you don't get into any trouble. Can't have you wandering about in the middle of the night.”

 

Khan didn't buy it for one second, but let it go. Purely for the sake of being more comfortable, and absolutely _not_ because he liked it, he adjusted them into a more snug position. He felt himself relaxing into the embrace... more so than he had relaxed since awakening from Cryonic sleep.

 

~

 

Jim woke at 630 hours to an empty bed. It was still warm, leaving him to assume Khan hadn't been up for long. The room was empty, so he peeked into the bathroom. He couldn't help the laugh that escaped him as he watched Khan gel back freshly-showered hair. At the questioning look directed at him through the mirror, Kirk said, “You're a very look-conscious super-villain.”

 

Khan picked up the shaving razor on the sink's edge. “Oops,” he stated, slicing the palm of his left hand. He didn't even try to make it look like an accident.

 

Kirk swallowed hard, steadying himself. So they were still playing this game. “Once I'm ready, we're going to the rec room.” Khan didn't make a move to leave the bathroom, allowing the blood from his hand to drip down his fingers and onto the floor. 

 

Well, Jim wasn't going to demand Khan leave, and act embarrassed. He pushed past the superhuman, adjusting the temperature of a water shower. He pulled his nightshirt over his head, undoing the drawstring on his pajama pants.

 

“Putting on a show for me?” Khan's eyes were drinking him up.

 

Kirk felt his face grow hot. Damn it, he was supposed to be gaining the upper hand. “You call this a show? You haven't seen me putting on a show.”

 

“I assume you've had a lot of practice.”

 

Kirk turned around, needing to see Khan's expression. It wasn't what he had expected: there was no mocking, ridicule, or disgust. There was simply... desire. _Khan's_ desire. Raw, wanting, needing. Kirk was amazed by his own self control. 

 

Khan turned towards the door, though Kirk could see his face reflected in the mirror. The desire was still there, body tensed as he willed himself to leave. If he felt even a portion of what Kirk was feeling, his actions were an astounding show of self-control. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Khan has yet to learn/ realize that the position of 'dominant' can be set in stone. He figures with the collar deactivated, Kirk won't stand a chance. Just clarifying so you don't think I've suddenly changed that mid-story :P


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is heavily based off of the episode "What are Little Girls Made Of?" from TOS.

 

“I'm kinda busy,” said Kirk, from his Captain's Chair. Khan stood before him, garnering stares from other crew-mates. It was a lie; Kirk had nothing to do. But he didn't want to do something stupid in front of his crew. Even if Khan had been fooled, Kirk doubted the superhuman would have cared.

 

“I have read the book Ms. Cutler gave me five times through, and had it memorized the first time,” said Khan. “You refuse to give me a PADD or access to the ship database, where the books are stored.”

 

“It wasn't my idea. It's just one of the requirements of your rehabilitation process.” Khan's boredom was infectious, and not helping Kirk's already-bored self by any means. “Go talk to Mr. Wilson some more.”

 

“I've spoken with him for the last three hours,” Khan replied, and it was obvious he was putting quite a bit of effort into 'behaving' himself.

 

Kirk sighed. Voice low, so no one else would hear, he said, “I'm bored, too, ok?” Khan didn't look appeased in the slightest, staring pointedly at the PADD in Kirk's hands. Kirk blushed, clicking off the screen. It was too late, he knew. Khan had seen the retro game Kirk had been playing. “I'll get you another book later. Just... pull up a chair next to me for now.”

 

Khan grabbed the nearest vacant seat, placing it next to Kirk and settling down. Blue eyes were expectant. “How is it you plan on entertaining me, Captain?” he purred.

 

Kirk tried to quell the stupid blush forming on his face, pulling up a list of games. “What looks good?”

 

“I would rather read,” said Khan. “I was made to learn and progress. Any educational book would do.”

 

“I told you I'd get you a book later.” Kirk scrolled through the games. “Here, this one's trivia. It has to do with intelligence. We can test your knowledge.” Inwardly, he was laughing. He hid the option he chose. Not math, or psychology, or any other such things. No, he chose _History (of the last 100 years)_. “You go first,” he said.

 

“ _Who revolutionized modern medicine?”_ With options: _Dr. R. Korby, Nicolas Cage, Dr. J. Edgewise, None of the Above_

 

Khan stared at the screen for a moment. He shoved the PADD back into Kirk's hands. “I have a better game to play.” Khan leaned close, his lips brushing Kirk's ear. Voice husky, he purred, “I want you.”

 

Three words, so simple, brought a deep heat to Kirk, stomach coiling with desire. He bit his lip just in time to hold back a gasp. Was he really so easily undone? The hand on his thigh didn't help. It was too close to his growing erection. Khan was smirking at him. 

 

“We've received a transmission from Exo III,” Spock informed, supplying a much-needed distraction. If Spock noticed Kirk's flustered state, he made no show of it. “The person claims to be Doctor Roger Korby, the Archeological Medic that revolutionized modern medicine.”

 

“He's been missing for a few years, right?” Kirk asked. He was proud of how steady he made his voice, gripping Khan's wrist to still it. Khan had been slowly inching his hand closer to the bulge in Kirk's pants, drinking up the elicited reactions.

 

“Precisely. However, if we go to Exo III, it will put us off our course towards Tantalus V.”

 

“Let me talk to him.”

 

It was a few minutes before a connection was established. “This is the captain of the USS _Enterprise_.”

 

“ _This is Doctor Roger Korby. I've made a discovery down here that could change everything_ ,” said a man, white noise distorting his words. “ _I'd like to show it to you, but I don't want anyone else to come down and see it yet. They might not understand_.”

 

“Just a moment,” Kirk replied, muting his end of the transmission. He looked up at Spock. “Thoughts?”

 

“It is highly suspicious that he wishes for you to go down alone. He hasn't been heard from for three years, and the last time a transmission was sent, the ships sent down to search for him found nothing. If it is not Doctor Korby, you could be walking into a trap.”

 

“But if it is Korby, I can't just _not_ go. I'll check in every 45 minutes. If I fail to check in, send down a security party.” Kirk ordered, “Mr. Sulu, take us into orbit. Khan, leave this room and stay away from the transporter room.” Kirk bit back a whimper as Khan 'accidentally' brushed over Kirk's erection when getting to his feet.

 

~

 

The cold of the icy tundra surrounding him was negated by the warmth emitted from a nearby cave. Kirk entered it, calling out, “Doctor Korby?”

 

“Over here!” said a voice.

 

Kirk gasped as his next step fell upon empty air. Mid-fall, he managed to grab onto the ledge behind him, grunting as his arm was nearly pulled from the socket. “Korby!” he called, glancing down. It was pitch black, and he couldn't even begin to see the bottom. He tried to turn his body around, so he would be facing the wall and could better pull himself up. The instant pain it caused in his arm nearly made him fall. “Korby!”

 

A hand latched onto his wrist, dragging him up onto solid ground. Kirk scrambled away from the ledge, cautiously getting to his feet. “You could have warned me about a random death drop,” he said. “Are there any other things I should be looking out for?”

 

Dr. Korby, holding the contrast of gray hair and a young face, looked sheepish. “I'm sorry, it slipped my mind. There shouldn't be anything else. Though, just in case, stay close to me.”

 

Kirk quickly checked in with Spock on his communicator. “If anyone is sent down, have them be very careful. There's a killer drop in the cave.”

 

After much walking and stumbling in the dark, a light switch was flipped. They had reached the living-area of the ruins, a table in the middle of this particular room. “So... what do you have to show me?”

 

Korby looked like a child on Christmas morning. “Andrea, why don't you come in?”

 

Entering the room was a beautiful woman, about a foot shorter than Kirk. Soft brown hair cascaded past her shoulders, gentle brown eyes focused on Korby. “Yes?” Her outfit was the same brown-green mix as Korby's, the top of hers modified to be two crossing strips of fabric that left nothing to the imagination. He wondered if Korby had a relationship with her, or-

 

“This is Andrea,” said Korby. “As you know, I am standing in an ancient ruin. I've discovered something... marvelous. Andrea, tell him.”

 

Those soft eyes were now looking up at Jim. “I'm an android.”

 

Kirk stared. “...Korby, you don't have to be ashamed. You've been alone for a long time.”

 

“What?” Korby furrowed his brows. His persona changed to horrified as Kirk's meaning dawned on him. “Oh, no, Andrea's not a pleasure bot. She's an android so realistic, she could be mistaken for a human.” He pressed a finger against her face. “Look at the life-like skin pigment. Her skin is warm, and she even has a pulse.”

 

Kirk didn't see how this made her different from a pleasure bot. She was more realistic, he supposed. He resisted the urge to comment in such a way. This was Doctor Korby. He had to have a good reason behind showing Kirk this. “Ok. Why'd I need to see this alone?”

 

“The theory that I have about all of this is quite controversial,” said Korby. “I can take a human and make an exact android copy of them. Mentally and physically the same. I can even transfer that human's consciousness to the android.”

 

“So we can have a bunch of programmable humans?”

 

“So we can get rid of all illness, deformity, and disease. Hate, crime, fear. It could all be removed, replaced with happiness and joy. A real paradise.”

 

Kirk pulled out his communicator. “In any case, I need to check in with-”

 

The device was ripped from his hand, Doctor Korby moving out of Kirk's reach. Kirk went to grab it back, giant hands gripping onto his shoulders from behind and keeping him in place. When he looked behind himself and up, he saw an 8 foot, hairless, angry-looking man.

 

“I'm sorry. I can't allow you to report this,” said Korby. “Ruk is also an android. He's programmed to protect me.”

 

“You're holding me hostage?” Kirk asked, in disbelief. “They'll come down if I don't report in, you know.” _And if you harm me too badly, Khan will alert Spock._

 

“Just let me prove it to you. Trust me, when you see what I can do... It's amazing. Ruk, report into the enterprise. Tell Mr. Spock that everything is fine.” To Kirk, Korby said, “Say a single word and Ruk will knock you unconscious.”

 

It was very disturbing to hear his own voice coming from Ruk. Spock sounded suspicious as he spoke to "Captain Kirk", but ultimately hung up without much of a discussion.

 

Jim walked to avoid being grabbed. Even if his right arm hadn't been filled with pin-pricks of pain, escaping Ruk would be impossible.

 

The room they stopped in had a blinking machine against a wall, connected to a flat, circular table inches above the floor. A divide went down the middle of it, each side having a strange metal bar. “How exactly is this supposed to convince me?” he asked, as Korby began to remove Kirk's clothes. He _did_ struggle as he was placed on one side of the table, the metal bar providing him decency and keeping him trapped. He had briefly caught a glimpse of a clay-like, man-shaped figure on the other side of the table.

 

“Don't worry, Captain. This won't hurt in the slightest.” He could hear the excitement in Korby's voice. “I'm going to make an Android version of you.”

 

~

 

Khan watched Joey- who had failed to notice the superhuman- bite into his sandwich. As Joey swallowed the bite, Khan allowed a smirk to overtake his features. The few minutes Joey spent getting a juice was all it took for Khan to fill the sandwich with something he had stolen from Sickbay.

 

Joey had gotten halfway through the sandwich when it kicked in. He doubled over, gripping his stomach and groaning. Khan left the room. No need to stay and watch. He knew what was to come. The pill would instantly 'clean out' Joey's body, and while it would be uncomfortable and humiliating, it wouldn't harm or truly hurt the boy.

 

He paused, spotting Kirk entering a room that contained classified information (Khan hadn't needed to hack into the system to learn that- Wilson had given Khan all he needed to know and more about the ship.)

 

It wasn't strange that Jim was going into a room with classified material. It was strange that Khan felt nothing. No desire. No possessiveness. No spark. He hadn't realized that he felt these things when he saw Jim, but now that he _didn't_ feel them, it was like he had been thrown into an icy pool. He decided to wait outside the door. He reached the door at the same moment as Spock.

 

“What are you doing?” asked Spock.

 

“The captain seems off,” was Khan's honest response. “I feel no tie to him.”

 

Spock punched in a code, entering the room. Khan followed him in, despite the raised brow he got. “You are not supposed to be in here.”

 

“It's ok,” Kirk said, looking up from the few papers in his hands. “Khan's too retarded to do anything useful.”

 

Khan narrowed his eyes at the man, analyzing him. He was now positive this wasn't Kirk. He forced himself to remain calm, even as his mind screamed at him to figure out where _his_ Kirk was.

 

“Why are you both looking at me like that?” Not-Kirk pushed past them, leaving them alone in the room.

 

Khan glanced at Spock, and knew he didn't have to say it. Spock too had deduced it wasn't Kirk.

 

Spock pulled out his communicator. “Search party, prepare to beam down. Wait until after the captain beams down.”

 

“I would like to join the search party,” said Khan. More than anything, he wanted to demand that he join the search party. However, that wouldn't get him anywhere with Spock.

 

“How could you be of help?” asked Spock. “You would get in the way.”

 

“I disagree. My intelligence would come in use.” Spock was clearly unconvinced. Khan _needed_ to see Kirk, though. He had to. “You have seen my resistance to weapons. At the very least, I could get Kirk out of there if he is injured.”

 

“You may come,” said Spock. “If the captain is truly in trouble, use your intelligence to stay out of our way. I am more than capable of retrieving and helping him.”

 

~

 

Kirk glared down at the plate of food before him. His only hope was that Khan had gotten his message, though it probably wouldn't even take the ridiculous comment for Khan to realize something was up. When his brain waves had been copied over to the android, he had intensely focused on the first absurd phrase that entered his mind. If he was lucky, it had stuck with the android.

 

“Is the food not to your liking?” asked Andrea. “I was reprogrammed to please you... I could make you something else.”

 

He got to his feet, leaning down a bit so they were at eye level. “You don't feel?”

 

“Any expression of emotion is from my programming,” she replied.

 

He gripped her chin. Her face remained blank. Did she really not feel? Those soft brown eyes, incapable of reflecting true emotion? No... he had seen the way she looked at Korby. There was more there than a machine performing a job. As a test, he pressed his lips to hers. The usual pleasure of kissing a pretty girl was dulled, even as she responded. _I should be kissing Khan_.

 

The thought only encouraged him to kiss her harder. She would feel, and he would stop thinking of Khan.

 

He blinked as his arms were suddenly wrapped around open air. He glanced to the left-

 

“Khan! What are you-”

 

Khan crushed Andrea's skull beneath his boot, blue eyes flashing as he turned to Kirk. He gripped him by the shirt collar, yanking him into a brutal kiss. After a moment of acting like a limp fish, Jim tangled a hand in Khan's hair, yanking the superhuman impossibly closer, blood rushing in his ears as he was ravaged with endless passion. He had known. Khan had known it wasn't him.

 

Khan pulled back, keeping their foreheads pressed together. Kirk had never seen Khan so undone. “You're mine,” Khan growled, and he was the sexiest thing Kirk had ever seen.

 

“Uh... yeah. Yeah, I'm yours,” he said, unthinkingly.

 

This managed to calm Khan down. He glanced over to the ruined form of Andrea. “...why am I not on the ground?”

 

“She was an android,” Kirk replied, still trying to recover his breath. “You didn't actually hurt a living being. But we're not safe yet. There's-”

 

Khan collapsed on top of Kirk.

 

“Ruk, no!” exclaimed Korby, as he ran into the room. Spock and a few ensigns were rushing in their direction moments later. Looking at Khan in horror, Korby said, “Ruk... Ruk, you _killed him_.”

 

Kirk could feel the warmth still emanating from Khan, eyelashes fluttering as Khan tried to regain his control. The superhuman wasn't so easily taken down.

 

“He killed Andrea,” said Ruk, voice as creepy as ever. “He was a threat. He had to be eliminated.”

 

Kirk whispered so low, a normal human wouldn't have heard if he had spoken into their ear, “When I say _Ruk_ , turn around and go after the giant guy. He's an android. You can take him down.” The smirk overtaking Khan's face showed his satisfaction with this idea. He hadn't gotten to hurt anyone in a long time. It was invigorating to finally be able to take something down. How Kirk knew Khan felt all this was beyond the blond...

 

Ruk was approaching Kirk now. “The threat must be eliminated.” Spock shot at the android, but nothing happened. Ensigns tried to attack, all thrown back. Spock only managed to slow Ruk down. In the background, Doctor Korby was mumbling about needing to find some specific weapon.

 

“Ruk,” said Kirk, looking up at the giant. It paused, staring down at him.

 

Khan was up and at the thing's throat in an instant. It knocked Khan to the ground, face twisting with confusion as Khan got back up. “You are all inferior to me,” said Ruk.

 

Kirk grinned at this; at the anger he instantly felt radiating from Khan.

 

“Spock,” said Khan.

 

The Vulcan gave a nod.

 

Ruk ducked down to punch at Khan, Spock swiping the android's feet out from under it. It fell to the ground with a loud _crash_ , the ground shaking beneath them as stalactites fell from the ceiling. Before it could get up, Khan had his hands on Ruk's head. The loud screeching of crushed metal filled the room, Ruk roaring as he reached up to stop Khan. Spock gripped the arms, forcing them down.

 

Ruk fell still, head looking like a crushed soda can with wires pouring from it.

 

“You destroyed them... You destroyed both of them...” Korby bemoaned.

 

“No,” said Kirk. “He has another. Mr. Brown. I don't know if he's a human or android, but watch out for him.”

 

“We subdued him on our way to this room,” said Spock, “as well as the android version of yourself. Mr. Brown was also an android.”

 

Korby let out a pathetic cry. “You ruined it... you ruined everything. Don't you see? Mr. Spock, you're a very logical being. Imagine the humans, without hate, without all of the things that make them illogical.”

 

“The violence expressed in your robots, and their constant disobedience, suggests that they are no better than humans,” said Spock. “As they can be programmed, the ease of corruption would increase exponentially.” He glanced at Jim, lips hinting at a smile. “Also, we have recently come to the conclusion that the darker side of a person is necessary for them to be extraordinary.”

 

Korby turned, running for the door. Spock caught hold of the doctor, yanking him back into the room. Korby yelled out as his hand got caught in the door, yanking it out. Kirk stared wide eyed at the robotic structure revealed beneath peeled 'skin.' “You're an android, too.”

 

“No,” said Korby. “This can be fixed. I was dying, and put my consciousness into this robot. I can do it with all humans! I'm me! I can prove it by calcul- by transmit- by telling my memor-”

 

Kirk gripped Khan's wrist when the superhuman made to move away. “We're not killing him,” Kirk said.

 

“You can't kill something that isn't alive,” said Khan. “If I can kill him, he's not Doctor Korby. If I can't kill him, he is.”

 

“...that's actually a good idea,” said Kirk. “Spock, what do you think?”

 

“It is Vulcan technology. Khan's theory has a 85.3 percent chance of being correct,” said Spock.

 

“You're... wait, you're just gonna let him kill me?” Korby asked. He backed into a corner as Khan approached him, recognizing Khan as the predator he was. Khan reached for the man's neck...

 

...and fell to the ground, a punishment activating. “Release Khan from his punishment,” Kirk said, by Khan's side in an instant, helping him up.

 

Korby was flabbergasted. “What... I don't...”

 

“We're going to destroy your android-builder,” said Kirk. “We'll be passing by Tantalus V soon, on a resupply mission. They rehabilitate the criminally insane.”

 

“I'm not-”

 

“We'll have them analyze you,” Kirk continued, “and then decide what to do with you. You created androids, kept me hostage, tried to take over my starship, and perhaps the galaxy. The Doctor Korby I've read about- that everyone talks about- was nothing like that. Since we have to pass Tantalus V anyway, we're going to get you checked.”

 

Spock called up. First, Spock, the four ensigns, and Dr. Korby were beamed up. Next, Khan and Kirk were beamed up.

 

“Mr. Spock, please assure Korby makes it to a room with level 2 security. Khan...” The past-dictator was standing so close, a speck of dust couldn't have passed between them. “Please accompany me to Sickbay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried not to give too much 'screen time' to the android Kirk, since I had just done a double Kirk thing. Figured this chapter is different enough from the 'split kirk' shenanigans, so went ahead with it ^-^ yay. Lol.
> 
> Also, to those who saw TOS version of this... sorry Nurse Chapel didn't get a part. In my story she never ended up getting engaged to him. Butterfly effect, yo.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Next chap will be up approximately next week's Thursday.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read Warnings in Notes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't like spoiling my own chapter, so go to the END NOTES for **WARNINGS**. Yup. Mostly it's just stuff mentioned in the tags.
> 
> Oh... and for the sake of my own kinks, if Khan breaks skin and is actually causing pleasure (without threatening the person's well being), he's not hurting or threatening anyone and it doesn't activate his collar. *nods* Yup... especially if his blood is healing them, anyway. uh huh. yup.

 

“You pulled a muscle in your right arm. It'll be fine in a day or so. Vitals are normal.” McCoy set down his scanning device, taking in the two before him. Kirk pushed himself into an upright position on the sickbay bed. Both he and Khan were particularly tense, not touching but leaning towards one another. “Now, why are you really here?”

 

A glance was shared. Kirk said, “I think we can feel each other's emotions.”

 

“You _think_ you can?” McCoy asked. “You either can or you can't.”

 

“We can, to an extent,” said Khan. “Do you have anything to stop this?”

 

“To stop a biochemical bond?” McCoy replied. “It's not like a virus, where I give you a shot and you get better.” It didn't take a doctor's keen eye to see the rut they were in. It was as if they couldn't decide whether to kill or devour each other. “I'll tell you this. It looks like you'll be together for a long time, and you'll only become more and more attached. You can fight it until you go crazy and can't resist any longer, or you can handle it like adults, talk it over, and learn to live with it.”

 

Kirk and Khan turned towards each other-

 

“No, you aren't doing this here. Get out of my sickbay.”

 

~

 

“...Bones is right,” said Kirk, pacing in his bedroom. “We can't carry on like this. After today, we can't just pretend this is going to go away. We can't treat it like it's only a game.” He paused, focusing his attention on Khan. “I mean, you _killed_ someone, just because I was kissing them. They turned out to be an android, but still. You didn't know that.”

 

Khan wasn't responding, staring at Kirk as if waiting for something.

 

“You say you're superior, so tell me. What should we do? Figure it out. Because I'm at a loss.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You told me I was yours- _needed_ to hear it. And I liked it. I liked when you kissed me, when you-” He broke off when a hand gripped his chin. Kirk felt himself relaxing as a pale thumb ran over his lips.

 

“What you will do,” said Khan, deep voice washing over Kirk, “is be mine.”

 

Kirk felt a shiver of pleasure travel down his spine. “Fine,” he said, wrapping a hand around the back of Khan's neck, pulling him close enough to feel the warmth of his breath against his, Jim's, face. “Then you're mine.”

 

~

 

Spock paused in the doorway of the recreation room, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Jim was sitting beside Khan, usual tension replaced with a sense of ease. Khan looked no different than usual, posture perfect, head held high. If it wasn't for the hand he had possessively tangled with one of Kirk's, Spock would believe the change to be one-sided. With his advanced hearing, he could tell what they were saying from where he was.

 

“Viktor was my right hand man,” Khan was saying, pronouncing the name with a long 'i'. “He could have ruled an entire continent if he wished, but chose instead to stay by my side.”

 

“So, if you were going to wake your crew, you'd wake him first?” asked Kirk.

 

“I would wake Elisa first. Her aid would be more beneficial in waking the others.”

 

“I suppose the next step would be desiccating Earth?” said Spock, making himself known.

 

Khan looked up at him, a glint entering his eyes. He wrapped an arm around Kirk, pulling the young captain closer.

 

Jim raised a brow but didn't pull away. “We were just talking theoretically. I figure, if I'm stuck with him, I might as well learn more about him. His crew's a big part of his past.”

 

Khan's eye twitched at the word 'past'. He removed his arm from around Kirk. “There's no need for thinking up a next step, so long as I am a slave to this collar.”

 

Spock raised a brow at this. The comment was natural, considering Khan's position, but from Spock's experience with humans he felt that the tone didn't fit. Spock had said Khan wouldn't get into trouble, as long as he and Kirk were careful. Kirk was nowhere near careful at this moment.

 

It was illogical to think the rehabilitation attempts had been working. Just the show of unrestrained violence against an android, thinking it to be a human, proved this. There was only one redeeming factor: Khan would protect Kirk with his life.

 

“Would you like to join us?” asked Kirk.

 

Spock would not like joining them. Still, it would offer him a chance to observe the two more fully. He grabbed himself a tray of replicated food, sitting across from the two. Their demeanor had changed in the few seconds he had been away, and they were undeterred by Spock's return.

 

“Why are you upset?” Kirk was asking.

 

“The new dimension to our connection does not mean you get to know all of my thoughts,” Khan replied.

 

“If I may make an observation, Captain?” Spock interjected. Gaining Kirk's attention, he said, “It appears Khan was upset at you referring to his crew as part of his 'past.' This suggests he has plans to free them. Further restrictions should be placed on him.”

 

“And what would these plans entail, pray tell?” asked Khan, eyes challenging. “I am restricted through Vulcan technology, tied to your captain, and haven't the slightest idea of where my crew is.”

 

It was a valid point. Vulcan technology was not faulty, and Jim couldn't be used as leverage. Also, if anyone was to go anywhere near the encrypted, locked away information of Khan's crew on any of the _Enterprise_ computers, Spock would be alerted.

 

Still, Spock had no reason to trust Khan. The man was intelligent and manipulative. He would just have to keep an eye out, for now.

 

~

 

“How is everything?” asked Elizabeth. “Would you like to sit down?”

 

“I plan on this being quick. Kirk's increasing possessiveness leaves me with limited time away from him.” He left out the fact that he was antsy to get back to Kirk's side, himself.

 

“You'll probably have more freedom if you make him think he has all the control,” Elizabeth said. “You can always make up for it once you've carried out your plan.”

 

“Speaking of the plan, it's why I am here. I would like your assistance, Elizabeth.”

 

She chewed on her bottom lip, fidgeting. “I don't want to go to jail.”

 

“Assuming all goes according to plan, you will not be suspected in the slightest. However, if you were to get caught, I would rescue you as soon as I've awoken my crew and ensured their safety.”

 

“...what exactly do you want me to do?”

 

“You will know it's the day of the plan when I return your book to you. I need you to go to the Captain's quarters after 2300 hours, preferably within a few minutes of the time. I may be unconscious. If this is so, I'll need you to force me to consciousness.”

 

“How am I supposed to get into Captain Kirk's room without being let in?”

 

“I'm going to tell you the bypass code. Memorize it, because I may not have the chance to tell you again.”

 

He gave her the code, said his goodbye, and exited the room. Kirk stood right outside the door, hand about to press the buzzer. “Hey,” Kirk greeted. The jealousy radiating from him was tangible. “What were you doing with Elizabeth?”

 

“Are you jealous, _Jim_?” He allowed his smirk to overtake his features as the captain glared. Instead of a response, he got a hand clasped around his wrist. He wondered if Kirk would have dragged him, had he chosen not to go along with him.

 

People stopped and stared in the halls.

 

The rough treatment didn't end when they were alone in Jim's room. Jim spun around, pupils dilated, breathing labored. “You promised there wouldn't be anymore games.”

 

“Your ability to see things that aren't there is staggering.” What exactly had happened to lead the captain to such a state? It had to be more than just jealousy. Then again, the last time Kirk had seen Khan with Elizabeth, the two were in a somewhat compromising position. If this continued, though, he wouldn't have much leeway to do what he needed to do. He'd try out Elizabeth's idea, if he could will himself to do so. He smoothly lied, “A full examination of my biology is hardly a game.”

 

~

 

Kirk glared at Khan, jealousy boiling in his veins. He knew it was misplaced, but it was necessary. While Khan was off wandering, Kirk had visited Bones. Bones had deduced that Khan was becoming the dominant party, and if Kirk wanted to change that... he had to get himself worked up enough to change things. Enough to do the one thing that would almost definitely seal the deal.

 

If Khan 'dominated' him, Kirk wouldn't be fit to serve as acting captain. Kirk would lose his beautiful _Enterprise_ , his crew, his life. The captain of a ship couldn't be strongly influenced by a prior terrorist.

 

Getting himself worked up was easier than he had thought. He just imagined Elizabeth with her hands all over Khan. His mind went into ' _Khan's mine and no one else is allowed to touch him_ ' mode.

 

Kirk stepped back from Khan, straightening himself with an immense force of will, making himself as imposing as possible. He could feel it. Could feel the pull to lean into Khan and please the other man 'til the end of the universe. Could _see_ it, obscene images flashing in his mind. “Take off your clothes.”

 

“As you wish, _Captain_ ,” Khan mocked, hooking his fingers under the bottom of his Starfleet issue shirt, slowly lifting it off. Kirk could hear his pulse pounding in his ears, taking in the creamy pale skin; the perfectly etched muscles that made his mouth water. His own haggard breath filled his ears, from his efforts at keeping himself in place. He was going to switch this situation. He was going to-

 

Hot _damn_ , Khan looked nice without all that fabric covering that beautiful torso. His fingers itched with the desire to remove the rest of Khan's clothes. Instead, he said, “I told you to undress, not give me a strip tease.”

 

Khan purred, “Why don't you remove your clothes for _me_ , Jim?”

 

Kirk had his shirt halfway over his head when he realized what he was doing. Not wanting to look a fool, he finished the movement. It took way more effort than it should have to keep from peeling off the rest of his clothes. “Fair's fair. One more warning. Remove your clothes or I'll do it for you.”

 

Khan's eyes gleamed. “Go ahead.”

 

Khan didn't resist as Jim dragged him towards the bed. He pushed Khan onto it. Or, more honestly, shoved him with all his strength, using his full body weight and following through with the shove, landing atop Khan with an, “ _Oomph_.” He quickly got up, kneeling on the bed beside Khan. He reached into his pocket-

 

“A scalpel? Kinky. Did your dear doctor give that to you?”

 

“Yes. Stay still.” He gripped the hem of Khan's pants, pressing the scalpel to it. It didn't cut. He made a sawing motion. He got the ends to separate. Khan was laughing at him.

 

Kirk blushed. This was not a good start. “Shut up. I'll be right back.”

 

When he returned from his desk with a pair of scissors, Khan was gone. Kirk glowered. Couldn't Khan just submit like a good genetically-engineered human?

 

“Would you like advice on dominating someone?”

 

Kirk spun around. Khan was leaning against the desk Kirk had retrieved the scissors from, still shirtless, pants hanging low on sharp hipbones. “Let me guess. Throw around threats?”

 

“I have no threats to throw at you, and would manage better than you are,” said Khan. “I can teach you. Once you learn, I will allow you to try it on me.”

 

Kirk caught himself mid-nod, swiftly changing it to a shake of the head. He just had to think. If not threats, then what? Moreover, he had to resist the tantalizing offer he had been given.

 

He didn't want to do it, but what other choice did he have? Khan's pull was too strong. _Khan_ was too strong, even with the collar. “Code 1-5-2.”

 

While Khan was incapacitated on the floor, Kirk got a few things together. He mentally thanked the gods for Bones' intuition. Otherwise, Kirk would have fallen into Khan's control, smiling all the while.

 

Jim dragged Khan onto the bed, situating him on his back, when an idea occurred. Jim retrieved the bottle of red sleeping pills, pulling out three. Ten had knocked Khan out for 45 minutes, tops. It was Jim's hope that three would leave Khan a bit sluggish. He gripped Khan's chin, forcing his mouth open and dropping the pills in. They instantly dissolved, disappearing into Khan's system.

 

“Release Khan from his punishment.”

 

Khan blinked heavily, eyes unfocused. “What did you do to me?” His words were slurred.

 

“Drugs. You'll probably be normal again in a few minutes.” Jim took the scissors, carefully lifting the waistband of Khan's pants before cutting through the material. It worked much better than the scalpel.

 

Even Khan's legs were gorgeous. Hard, solid muscle beneath flawless skin. Kirk removed the now-destroyed garment, leaving Khan in a pair of black boxers. He'd get to that later. Dropping the scissors, he picked up the scalpel. He straddled Khan backwards, leaning over his bottom half. He lifted the left pant leg of Khan's boxers, pressing the scalpel to the sensitive flesh of Khan's inner thigh. Sucking in a breath, he pressed the tiniest bit harder-

 

He couldn't think. He had lost his brain. Skin split beneath the medical tool, ruby red pouring down Khan's thigh and staining the bedsheets. Kirk had his mouth on the wound in an instant, sucking hard, trying to collect every drop of the substance. The flavor was euphoria, his head spinning as he swallowed it down. Beneath him, Khan had tensed, a hand grasping the back of Kirk's pants, the only thing the superhuman could reach from his position.

 

With an effort, Kirk forced his mouth from Khan's thigh, licking the traces of the life-giving substance from his lips. He slipped a hand under the waistband of boxers, moaning at the silky feel of the other man's cock in his hand. He freed it from the confines of the underwear, licking his lips at the sight. It was perfect in shape and size, and felt lovely against his hand. The slight curve suggested it would hit all the right spots.

 

Now wasn't the time for that, though. Kirk pumped the flushed cock with his hand, swiping his thumb over the head and smearing the pearly beads of pre-cum down the length. The sudden feel of hands slipping down the back of his pants left him breathless, and he was overcome with the desire for more of Khan. He bent down, wrapping his lips around the tip and sucking hard. The fingers fondling his ass dug into his skin as he ran his tongue across the slit, hollowing his cheeks as he took more into his mouth. Just a taste, that's all he wanted. He pulled off with a _pop_ , lips wet with his own spit, looking down at the glistening, proud cock below him. At the scalpel beside him. He picked it up, turning so he was facing Khan.

 

Darkened eyes were unfocused, even as they flashed with desire. Good. The drugs hadn't worn off yet. He tangled his hand in Khan's hair, roughly yanking his head back. Khan hissed out a breath between his teeth, eyes appearing almost closed by how far down he had to look to see Kirk, dark lashes nearly brushing pale cheek.

 

His cheeks... Kirk bent down, brushing his lips over the sharp line of a cheekbone. He wouldn't have Khan submissive for long, unless he moved forward. He scooted back a bit, keeping his eyes on Khan's face as he lightly pressed the scalpel down the smooth column of Khan's neck. Kirk dipped his head, taking his time sucking on the wound this time. He moaned at the hand suddenly in his hair, holding him in place. Fingers were attempting to pull the scalpel from him. Kirk bit down hard, a soft moan vibrating from Khan's throat to Kirk's lips. Instead of stealing away the weapon as planned, Khan's free hand clenched in the fabric of Kirk's shirt.

 

Kirk rubbed himself against Khan, moaning through his mouthful of blood. The augment tasted deliriously delicious. He pulled back, tugging his shirt off. The second it was off, strong arms yanked him down, Khan's deft fingers undoing Kirk's pants. “Take it off,” Khan ordered, deep voice husky with want.

 

Kirk dug his teeth into a prominent collar bone, in retribution for the command. Khan's reaction was beautiful. He pressed up into the pain, head falling back, a dark red coloring his cheeks.

 

Jim's cock was aching painfully in snug pants, but he kept the fabric on. He just had to hold on a little longer.

 

~

 

The little red pills had worn off, but plenty of other chemicals worked to expel Khan's brain of useful thought. Kirk's talented mouth was all over him, that damned medical tool sparking pleasure-pain with every cut, sending his senses on overload and fogging his mind with need. “Cut deeper,” he rasped out. More. He would have more.

 

“Say please.” That voice should not belong to someone less than sadistically evil. It nearly stripped Khan's will away. It was either that or the teeth that had latched onto his right nipple, biting down just enough to hurt. He couldn't quite tell where the pleasure was coming from anymore, skin igniting with sensitivity, the pain magnifying every touch.

 

 _It's the bond_ , he told himself. _I can pay him back tenfold when I escape._

 

His boxers were being pulled off, the hunger flashing in azure eyes dizzying to the superhuman.

 

Kirk looked as gone as Khan felt, chest heaving as he tried to take in enough oxygen for his rapidly beating heart. Kirk licked his lips, saying, “Hands and knees.”

 

Khan scoffed. He was superior. He didn't-

 

Khan was on his hands and knees. He searched his memory for how it had happened, and came to the conclusion that it was by his own doing; to the conclusion that he was psychologically _messed up_. His mental searching ended with his ability to think, that same scalpel cutting down the length of his back, leaving him arching into the touch. His mind was focused on the feel of split skin, his superior blood devoured by the captain. Every drop of blood taken from him chipped away at his will, soon focused on little more than getting _more_ of it taken by the young captain.

 

Khan tensed as a slick finger prodded his opening. Khan was _superior_. Khan didn't bottom.

 

Jim's warm breath beat against Khan's ear as he whispered, “Stay still. Try to relax.” His mouth returned to Khan's back, coaxing more blood from the already-healing wounds. The finger slipped in...

 

Khan grit his teeth. _Move_ , he ordered himself. _Flip positions_. His body remained in place, relaxing into the bed. “What did you do to me?” he growled, the intended viciousness hindered by his labored breathing. If only Kirk would stop cutting him-

 

As if hearing his thoughts, Kirk made another cut, horizontally crossing the last one. Another finger slipped in.

 

Khan had been with men before, but he had never been taken by one. The feeling was unfamiliar, though not entirely unpleasant. It was hard to concentrate on the fingers moving inside him when a scalpel and devious tongue were all over his skin. Another finger- yes, now it was drawing his attention.

 

~

 

Fuck, Khan was tight around his fingers. Kirk did his best to stretch the man, unsure if Khan even cared with his rapid healing abilities and high pain tolerance. He curled his fingers, rewarded with the most delicious sound. He had to have him, _now_. But he wanted to see that gorgeous face, in the throes of passion. He took advantage of Khan's strange daze to roll him over onto his back.

 

Pupils blown, Khan's eyes were as full of hate as they were of lust, muscles coiled in preparation for attack. He was immediately up in a sitting position, yanking Kirk's hair and attacking his jawline with biting kisses. Jim struggled to regain himself. It was essential that he regain control. He _had_ to.

 

He had to... stop pressing into Khan's touch. Jim placed his hands on Khan's shoulders. “Down.”

 

The order earned him an animalistic snarl, the only way Khan could rebel as he obeyed, the savagery he spoke of burning in his eyes and clawing to escape.

 

All Kirk could think, with all that delicious blood in his system, was: _Mine_. A semblance of a thought had him slicking himself with lube, bottle tossed aside as he hooked Khan's knees over his shoulders. He lined himself up, slowly pressing in. “ _God_ you're tight,” he gasped, the velvety heat practically sucking him in.

 

Khan's hand- strong enough to crush a skull- gripped Kirk's chin, pulling him in so their lips were brushing. Kirk had to place an arm down beside Khan's head to keep upright as he rolled his hips, other hand on a creamy thigh. “If you are going to fuck me,” Khan said, the movements of his lips felt against Kirk's own, “then do it properly.”

 

Jim blinked, confused at finding himself on his back. His planned command was broken by the sight that met him. Facing Jim, Khan was lowering himself onto the captain's cock, savage blue eyes locked with Jim's all the while. Kirk gripped sharp hips, grappling for purchase as Khan sunk all the way down, his firm ass pressing flush to Kirk's pelvis.

 

Khan looked down at Kirk, the anger cooled to smug satisfaction.

 

 _Work, brain_ , Kirk thought, willing the organ in his head to function. His vocal chords worked fine, sounds pulled from him as Khan moved at a torturously slow pace, way too pleased with himself. “Flip us over,” he rasped.

 

Khan had them halfway rolled over, both on their sides, when he froze. Kirk took the moment of internal struggle to finish the movement, reaching out blindly for the scalpel. By the time he had it, Khan had nearly regained his senses. Kirk undid that with a single slash on the man's right cheekbone, drinking up both the liquid and Khan's faint moans.

 

He slid back into Khan with a smooth motion, groaning as he forced his way into that tight channel. He changed the angle, gasping at the delicious contractions this evoked from the augment. Nails were instantly clawing at his shoulders, the heels of Khan's feet pressing against Kirk's ass in a demand for more. Jim complied, thrusting his hips in a frenzy. The slap of skin against skin, the sound of Kirk's panting and Khan's heavy breathing, filled the room.

 

Kirk met Khan halfway for an all-teeth-and-tongue kiss, eyes fluttering with bliss as the ex-dictator's talented tongue moved against his, reaching down and gripping Khan's leaking cock in his hand. He stroked it with the movements of his hips, moaning as Khan tightened around him. “Khan,” he gasped, the tension building up in him. He bit his lip, willing himself to hold on, to wait until Khan came.

 

He pulled out 'til just the head was inside, slamming back in and pressing Khan's body up the bed, keeping in place to grind against the man's ass. Khan bit right through the skin of Kirk's neck, nails drawing blood and heels bruising Kirk's ass where they forced him impossibly close. Kirk gave a few harsh yanks to the flushed, aching cock between them, Khan's lower muscles convulsing around Kirk as Khan came, back arched, head thrown back in a low moan. A few more rigorous thrusts and Kirk was coming, trembling as bliss washed over his form, gasping Khan's name.

 

When he came back to himself, he was laying atop the superhuman, chest heaving as he tried to regain his breath. He could feel Khan's heartbeat, fast-paced but swiftly steadying. With an effort, he rolled himself so he was next to Khan. He closed his eyes, ready to pass out.

 

~

 

Khan grimaced. He was sticky, covered and filled with fluid, and had just had the best orgasm of his life from _being penetrated_ by an _inferior being_. Worst yet, he felt more attached to Jim than he had before the sex. Khan Noonien Singh did not get attached to people because of sex. It was a physical act, used to relieve stress, manipulate others, and receive carnal pleasure.

 

The hand inching closer to Kirk dared to disagree. He glared at the traitorous appendage, yanking it back to his side. He was not going to run his hand through Kirk's hair. What he needed was to clean himself of this mess.

 

“Jim,” he said, shaking the young captain.

 

Kirk groaned, burying his face into his pillow. He gave a muffled, “What?”

 

“We need to shower.”

 

“What?” Jim said again, eyes finally opening. He looked the both of them over, seeming to just notice the fact that they were sweat slicked, cum-covered, and blood-stained. He pressed an arm against the bed in an obviously half-assed attempt to get up, before flopping back down. “In the morning.”

 

Khan had Kirk in his arms, bridal style, with a swift movement. Kirk scowled up at him, though there was no force behind it. “Why can't you shower alone?”

 

Khan found it a very valid point. He hadn't thought about it. He had just wanted to get clean, and felt it needed to be done with Kirk at his side. 

 

He sincerely hoped the weird obedience and attachment could be reversed and used to his advantage. Though, worst comes to worst, he could always leave Kirk gagged upon escaping. Kirk would be hard pressed to make demands without his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: 'knife'play, bloodplay, possibly dubious consent, sex, drug use. Bottom!Khan. 
> 
> A.N: dognamit, bottom!Khan is damn hard to write, the guy refuses to submit. I'm hoping it was at least somewhat believable xD Sorry if it wasn't. But this fandom needs more bottom!Khan.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the support ^-^ hope this chappie doesn't disappoint, lol. 
> 
> Yay for another chapter.
> 
> Oh, and I don't own Star Trek, in any of its forms or shapes.

Chapter 11

 

Khan had scrubbed his skin (temporarily) raw, and still couldn't get the feel of Kirk off of him. _Out_ of him...

 

Worst yet, he didn't want to get rid of the feeling. His skin tingled strangely, and as much as he'd like to blame it on the over-used loofa, that wouldn't explain the barrage of obscene mental images. He cursed himself for his lack of control, achingly hard, no actions of his own enough to get himself off. 

 

“Khan?” 

 

Khan bit back a growl as the object of his torture entered the bathroom. He could make out the fuzzy form through the fogged glass of the shower door. It flew open, Kirk's blue eyes hazy with exhaustion. “You've been in here for two hours.” A hand was placed on one of Khan's forearms, the spray of the shower splashing onto Kirk's boxer-clad form. “Did I... Are you ok?”

 

Khan was not ok. He felt _wrong_. His insides were warming the longer that hand stayed on him, and his body refused to pull away from the touch. But he had a plan. Kirk was going to trust him, let his guard down, and ultimately be stolen away. For that to happen... “I would be much better if you were in here, with me,” Khan purred. 

 

Jim entered the shower, pausing to stifle a yawn. “Fine, 15 minutes. I have to get up at 600 hours.” 

 

“I would think any pretenses of modesty would be discarded,” Khan remarked. 

 

Kirk blinked, seeming to just realize that he was still wearing his boxers, the wet fabric clinging to his lower body. The water seemed to wake him up a bit, the fog clearing from his eyes. He gripped onto Khan's shoulder to steady himself as he removed his boxers, tossing the clothing outside the shower. The sight of Kirk's muscled, lean form, and an already half-hard cock did nothing to assuage Khan's desire.

 

Khan was not going to be weak. He would let Kirk think he was in control, but that didn't mean Khan had to be meek and submissive. Khan Noonien Singh was a _conqueror_.

 

He gripped the short hairs on the nape of Kirk's neck, yanking the blond into a bruising kiss. Kirk moaned deliciously into his mouth. _Yes,_ this was how things were supposed to be, with Kirk leaning into him, making soft keening sounds in the back of his-

 

A sharp pain erupted in the back of Khan's head. Through the nipping kisses igniting fire in their wake, he gathered that he had been shoved against the shower wall. He had _lost his impeccable senses_. 

 

Intelligible thought failed him as Jim fell to his knees before him, sucking Khan's cock straight into his hot, devious mouth. It was like he was made for it, that wicked tongue leaving Khan tangling his hands in Kirk's hair and yanking him closer, Jim's cheeks hollowing out and providing amazing suction. _This_ was where Jim belonged, on his knees, servicing a superior being. 

 

One of the hands attempting to hold the brunette's hips in place moved down, trailing down his cock, over his perineum. He was taken into Kirk's throat at the same time a wandering finger pressed into him, letting out a low moan as Kirk swallowed around him. When he escaped, perhaps even before, he would bend Jim over and fuck the blond 'til he fell unconscious from the pleasure of it all; show him what superior sex really was.

 

He was distinctly aware of a second finger entering him, preparing to stop this chain of events before it got too far. The fingers curling inside him short-circuited his first rate brain, and he was thrusting into Kirk's mouth with abandon, coming undone beneath the practiced mouth. 

 

~

 

Jim had never tasted a man so exquisite. The pre-cum spilling into his mouth left him working harder to get more, sucking more thoroughly, running his tongue along the thick length. He curled his fingers inside Khan again, getting the same reaction- spasming muscles, and that hard cock burying itself deep in his throat over and over at a bruising pace. Kirk had had enough practice to take a face-fucking, but Khan's powerful thrusts were something he'd experienced with no partner before, alien or otherwise. He closed his eyes as those muscles continued to tighten around his fingers. He had to be inside of that tight heat. Inside of hisKhan.

 

It was hard to pull off with the erratic thrusting, but Jim managed, pushing himself to his feet. Khan growled at him, and Kirk knew he had to act fast or he'd be back on his knees. Time to see how solid the bond had become. “Turn around.”

 

Khan froze up, a war raging in his eyes and immobilizing him. Close enough. Kirk manually turned Khan, gripping sharp hip bones and rubbing himself along Khan's crack. He licked his lips.

 

“Jim-”

 

The scolding tone was overshadowed by dual moans, Kirk burying himself inside Khan's tight ass with a single thrust. He bent over Khan, grinding against his ass and biting hard into the solid line of Khan's upper back. He eagerly licked up the blood this brought up. A hand was suddenly grabbing his ass, as Khan reached back with one arm, using the other to brace himself against the wall. Kirk yelped at finding himself suddenly forced _hard_ into Khan, merely by the force of the hand on his ass, forcing and guiding his movements. Khan looked at Kirk over his shoulder, dark fringe soaked to his forehead and eyes heated. A warning.

 

Khan didn't beg. He _took_.

 

Jim was starting to get the feeling that the control was only vaguely his. He'd need another 'knife session' later... The memory of slicing through perfect skin with a scalpel left Kirk panting for breath, pounding into Khan feverishly. He reached around, wrapping a hand around Khan's cock- it was leaking copious amounts of pre-cum, bouncing against Khan's muscled stomach with each of Kirk's thrusts. Kirk groaned, rolling his hips up into the warm, velvety channel. 

 

Khan tensed beneath Jim, muscles spasming and cock jumping in Jim's hand. Warm jets spurted out, dripping down Kirk's hand and sliding down the shower wall. It was too much. Kirk buried himself with one final thrust, coming hard inside Khan's ass, filling him up with his cum.

 

When he pulled out, a thin line of his cum trickled out. He frowned at the slight tint of red, though if Khan felt any pain he didn't even hint at it. _He's probably already healed from any 'injuries'_ , Kirk mused.

 

Khan exited the shower with a swift movement. Before Kirk could question, Khan was back under the spray. “Khan-”

 

An object was forced into his hands. He was startled to find that it was the shaving razor. He studied Khan's expression. The superhuman's face was set with determination, body tensed and pupils as blown as they'd ever been. 

 

If Kirk had any thoughts of resisting, they were long gone now. He licked his lips, already able to taste Khan's blood in his mouth. _Mine._

 

~

 

Khan woke to the pleasant feeling of fingers running through his hair. The mere fact it was _pleasant_ should have been the first sign something was wrong. Eyes still shut, he gripped the wrist of the stroking hand, giving a harsh tug. The breath rushed from him as a hard body fell atop him, with a loud _oomph_. 

 

Thought rushed from him; his limbs trembled; a loud ringing filled his ears. The added benefit of removing the limit was that the 'instant punishment' now gave two at a time. The last few times had had a different combination. The usual trembling, along with the feeling of fire igniting in his veins. When Kirk activated a punishment, he only activated a single, specific one, so that wasn't problematic. 

 

It was over as quickly as it had begun, the blond still collapsed flat on top of him. Soft blond hair brushed Khan's face, smelling strongly of star-fleet issued soap and the fresh scent of Kirk's gel. Khan was starting to wonder if Kirk had passed out atop him, when the blond scrambled to his feet. “Hurry up and get ready. We're gonna find you a book.”

 

Khan noted that it was 530 hours. It was very unusual for Jim to wake up before 600 hours. 

 

He could feel Kirk's eyes on him as he got ready for a shower. When he was blatantly stared at with hunger-filled eyes as he removed his clothing, he raised a brow at Kirk. “Would you prefer to join me?” 

 

“Nah, we've got a schedule to keep.” Kirk didn't sound very convincing, but stayed out of the bathroom all the same.

 

After a fast, efficient shower, and careful styling of his hair (looks were half of manipulation), he was being dragged from the room by an over-excited captain. The halls were near-empty at this time, the few guards watching with bemusement.

 

Jim finally pulled them into a room, if the closet-sized space could be called such a thing. He would have doubted Jim's intentions, especially after the blond shut the door and locked it behind them, but Jim had immediately walked to the back. A bookcase rested against the far wall, thin but tall, full of paperbacks and hardcovers.

 

“Some people insisted on having 'real' books, but they didn't want to waste ship space on something so unnecessary,” Kirk explained. He made a sound of triumph as he pulled a book from the shelf, holding it out. 

 

Khan accepted it, looking it over. _The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume I_ , by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. “Sherlock Holmes?”

 

“Yeah. It's pretty old. Have you read it?”

 

“I never had a reason to waste my time on fiction, unless it held historical significance.”

 

“Well, this is about a detective. I think you'll like it.” Kirk got to his feet, the small space of the room leaving them too close to properly take each other in. “Volumes 2-4 are here as well, if you like it. You can visit here and read any of these books all you want. Just make sure to return them when you're done.” 

 

Khan examined the shelf for a more interesting book. He'd give this _Sherlock Holmes_ novel a chance, but he would still take an informative book. _History of the 22_ _nd_ _Century_ , with a list of four authors, each with 'PHD' beside their name.

 

“Really?” asked Kirk, a laugh in his voice. 

 

“I have spent my time catching up on technological and scientific advances. I didn't have time to catch up on history.” Khan flipped it over to read the back. It did little to hint as to what was inside, instead giving facts about the authors. 

 

Fingers were intertwining with Khan's. ' _Mine,'_ immediately flashed through Khan's mind, hand tightening reflexively around Jim's.

 

~

 

“If I knew this was going to be a free-for-all, I would've handed out flyers.” McCoy watched bitterly as Khan and Kirk settled down at the table. As if it wasn't annoying enough to have Khan constantly hovering in sickbay for god-knows-what-reason. Now he was joining a planned friend gathering.

 

“You're the one that suggested we figure out our relationship,” said Kirk.

 

“Yeah: figure it out. Not behave like clingy adolescents. Do you see _anyone_ else behaving that way on theship?” If Kirk's dismissal of the situation was frustrating, Khan's amusement was beyond the limits McCoy could deal with in a single day. The superhuman didn't say a word, watching with clear satisfaction. “You,” said McCoy, to the damn smug bastard, only gathering more amusement. “If you think you can control Jim, you've got another thing coming. He's more hard-headed than an Asperian goat.”

 

Khan folded his hands on the table, practically purring, “If you're jealous, Doctor, you're wasting your energy. The captain is mine.” McCoy bristled, opening his mouth to return with a sharp retort. 

 

Spock spoke before McCoy got the chance. “We will be at Tantalus V within the next five hours.” Spock directed his attention to McCoy. “As they are a facility for the criminally insane, is it possible that the facility could do something to break or ease the symptoms of their bond?”

 

“Possible, but not likely,” said McCoy. “Still, it'd be worth a try. Jim, what do you say?”

 

Jim raised a brow. “You're seriously ok with letting scientists mess with my brain?”

 

“Of course not,” McCoy huffed. “Just analyzing you and giving suggestions.”

 

“It would be best to avoid letting on to who and what Khan is,” said Spock. “If the scientists do manage to break the bond, however, I suggest we consider leaving Khan there. A prison for the criminally insane would be most appropriate.”

 

“Did you just make a joke?” asked Kirk, lips curling up at the corners. “That's a first.”

 

“It was merely a suggestion.” Spock's face was unreadable, but it was glaringly obvious that he didn't like Khan's relationship with the captain. How could he? Jim was tied to a mass murderer who was probably plotting their deaths at this very moment. McCoy had never had faith in technology, and the ring of metal around Khan's neck was no exception. Be it three days or three years from now, McCoy was sure Khan would find a way around it. 

 

Too bad no one else shared his sentiment. Spock wasn't about to distrust Vulcan technology, and Kirk was too infatuated to even think straight when it came to Khan.

 

“So, how are things with Uhura? I thought she would be joining us,” said Jim.

 

“If you are asking about my relationship with her,” said Spock, “we are on good terms. As for her not being here, she has opted to have lunch with Carol Marcus instead. Ms. Marcus has shown signs of unease as of late.”

 

“Probably because the man that killed her dad before her eyes and crushed her leg is on the ship,” McCoy grumbled, fixing the superhuman with a glare when his words resulted in the return of that smirk. Assuming the Vulcan technology would hold, it was going to be a very long five years.

 

~

 

“We shouldn't be meeting so obviously.”

 

Wilson hesitated, fidgeting in Elizabeth's room before said sandy-blond. “I know. I just... needed reassurance.”

 

“That you're doing the right thing?” Elizabeth asked. At his nod, she said flatly, “You're not. And neither am I.”

 

His mouth opened and closed a few times. He finally settled on, “...what?”

 

“The right thing, considering our positions, oaths, and what Khan has done, is to reveal to Spock what's been going on and foil the plan altogether.” She held up a hand to keep Wilson from speaking. “I feel Khan should be allowed to see his family again. I feel he shouldn't be under the control of some archaic torture device. But we can't believe anyone would condone our actions. No one will tell us what we're doing is right, and we can't expect them to. If we're going to do this, it can't be about right or wrong. It has to be about what we personally feel should be done.”

 

From Wilson's stricken face, she could tell it wasn't what he had hoped to hear. Elizabeth wasn't going to lie, though. This was the reality. 

 

“Ms. Cutler...” He took a deep breath, setting his jaw and squaring his shoulders. “I understand. You can count on me to do my part.”

 

~

 

“Is everything in place?” asked Kirk, as they entered orbit of Tantalus V.

 

“ _Aye, Captain,”_ Scotty confirmed over the comm. _“The supplies for the penal colony are ready to be sent down.”_

 

“Noted. Kirk out. Lieutenant Uhura, please connect us with Tantalus V.”

 

“Yes, Captain.” 

 

A female voice sounded over the comm. “ _This is the Tantalus Penal Colony._ ”

 

“This is the USS _Enterprise_. We request that you open your forcefield so we can send down requested supplies.”

 

After she gave the confirmation of the forcefield being down, Kirk added, “I would like to speak with Dr. Adams.”

 

“ _Doctor Adams here._ ”

 

“This is Captain Kirk of the USS _Enterprise_. We have a favor to ask of you, if it isn't too much trouble.”

 

“ _Go on_.”

 

Kirk continued, “We have in our custody a man that has attempted sabotage of my ship. We'd be very grateful if you'd analyze him.”

 

“ _Sure, that would be fine. But, why not have him examined on your ship? Surely you have psychiatrists there?_ ”

 

“He's a... special case. I'll explain further upon beaming down with him.”

 

“ _Alright. The forcefields will be down for you_.”

 

“Kirk out.” Kirk put down the comm, Bones by his side in an instant. “I don't want him messing with my brain,” he said.

 

“Jim, it may be the only chance you have. Do you _want_ to be tied to a terrorist forever?”

 

The automatic response was an emphatic _no_ , but the word felt wrong in his mouth. Lowering his voice so the crew wouldn't hear, he said, “It's probably just the blood bond, but I'm starting to not mind being tied to him.”

 

Bones didn't look impressed. “That only confirms that you need any help you can get.”

 

Kirk sighed. “I'm not making any promises.” Getting to his feet, he said, “Mr. Spock, bring Dr. Korby to the transporter room. Khan?” The superhuman tucked his book- _Sherlock Holmes_ \- somewhere on his person. “Come with me.”

 

Khan spoke a few unheard words to Wilsonbefore joining Kirk. “I suppose you intend to have a psychiatrist analyze us?”

 

The bitterness in the augment's tone gave Kirk pause. “I was considering it,” he said. Curious, he added, “Is that a problem?”

 

Khan didn't respond, eyes focused ahead and face unreadable. Kirk bit back the desire to question Khan further. Now, on their way to the transporter room, was not the time.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are the greatest, you know that? Here's a chappie for you awesome peeps ^-^

Darkness. So dark. Oh! Movement. Yes. He would be free. Free at last, of that man. Free of Dr. Ada-. Fire, lapping at his skin. Insides charring to bits. He couldn't disobey, couldn't let this burning fire consume him!

 

 _No_. He would put an end to this horror. He would! Tantalus V would be free from _his_ rein. From the room. From this nightmare. 

 

“ _Energize_ ,” a voice said, the tingling of being taken apart and put back together giving him the hope he had hardly dared to feel. _Finally_. Finally, finally, FINALLY.

 

He was free.

 

More movement. The crate was being lifted. Placed down. People were in the room... he'd wait until it was more cleared before escaping. Find the captain, demand asylum. 

 

“Dr. Korby, Khan,” a voice was saying. “Ready?” Then, “Energize.”

 

Hesitantly, he lifted the top of the lid half an inch, peeking out with a squinting eye. The slot of vision he was granted revealed three people. He'd take the chance! He threw off the lid, making a break for the door. Shouting followed him, but he was fast; faster than them!

 

A door. Locked. Another door. “Stop!” a person shouted. The person was knocked out with a karate chop to the back. A phaser? He stole it from the person's belt, set it to stun. He wasn't like _that man_. He had morals. No amount of conditioning would ever change that.

 

He wasn't _weak_.

 

He ran through the door. The Bridge! Yes, this was where the captain could be found! A man- a Vulcan- approached him. But he would not go back! “Which one of you is the captain?” His voice came out high-pitched and crazed. What had happened to his wonderful mind? Why would they help him when he was like this? No, no, they had to help him. It was the only way. “Which one!” he said, waving the phaser around as six pairs of eyes stared at him.

 

The Vulcan was the one to speak up, saying, “I am currently acting Captain.”

 

Vulcans, what were they, logical? Yes. Yes, they knew logic. “I demand asylum.”

 

“Under gunpoint?” someone commented. A human, of asian decent. 

 

He waved his phaser around wildly, hands trembling. “I need you to promise. Promise you won't send me back. I'm not a criminal! I don't _belong there_!”

 

“I can make you no such promise. However, I am willing to hear what you have to say if you agree to hand over the phaser.”

 

The phaser? His only protection? He needed to show he wasn't a criminal. He wasn't. He could behave. He wasn't crazy. Not really. If he handed over the phaser...

 

 _If I hand over the phaser, there will be no asylum for me! **He** will win! _ He tightened his grip on the phaser. “I can't! I need your-!” A sharp bite in his neck. Oh, how he recognized that feeling. He was being tranquilized! Someone had snuck up behind him! “No! No...” His voice failed him as the world faded to black. All hope was lost.

 

~

 

 

Upon stepping into the elevator that led down into the colony, Khan was treated to quite the show. Kirk and Korby cried out, the both of them frantically waving their arms in an attempt to keep their footing. When it stopped, Khan raised a brow at the young captain.

 

Kirk blushed, but otherwise ignored Khan, entering into the empty hallway. He peered about, as if someone could be hiding in a crevice of a door. “I thought Dr. Adams was going to meet up with us,” said Kirk.

 

“He's probably dealing with a patient,” said Korby. Wistfully, he added, “I wish I was here as a researcher rather than a prisoner.”

 

“You're not a prisoner yet,” Kirk reminded. “Besides, as far as prisons go, this one's supposed to be really nice. More like a resort.” 

 

“A cage is a cage,” Khan murmured, narrowing his eyes as he took the place in. The walls were painted a soft blue, ceilings high and hallway relatively wide. It had an open, comfortable atmosphere to it. However, Khan had learned long ago how deceiving appearances could be.

 

The sound of footsteps heading their direction caught the augment's attention, along with the _swish_ of clothes. 

 

“Maybe if we continue on, we can find someone who can guide us to Dr. Adams,” Kirk suggested. 

 

Khan didn't get the chance to enlighten Kirk, as a voice said, “That won't be necessary.” Kirk jumped, looking up at the approaching man with apparent surprise. “I'm Dr. Adams. Sorry for the hold up,” said the man, a tight smile on his face. “One of our occupants escaped. There's a possibility he may be on your ship.”

 

“On my ship?” Kirk repeated. “How-” His communicator began to beep. “Ah, hold on a moment.”

 

“ _Captain, we have a man from Tantalus V aboard,_ ” said Spock. “ _We believe he may be Dr. Van Gelder, and not actually a prisoner._ ”

 

“I see. Is the crew alright?”

 

“ _Yes, Dr. McCoy managed to subdue him_.”

 

“Alright. I trust you to keep the situation under control. Kirk out.” He snapped his communicator shut, turning his attention to Adams. “What's going on?”

 

Adams sighed. “Van Gelder was my assistant. We had a new therapeutic device, but he didn't want to use it on prisoners without trying it out on himself first. He ended up driving himself insane.” 

 

“What did this device do?” asked Kirk, curiously.

 

“It is a neuron neutralizer. It was _supposed_ to empty a person's mind, so they're open to suggestion. An advanced form of therapy.” Adams looked over the three of them. “Now, you said you wanted me to have someone examined?” 

 

Khan ran over the facial expressions and words Adams had portrayed. Indeed, instead of sorrow or disappointment, Adams' face and tone hinted at satisfaction. Such a subtle thing, with only little nuances to give it away. He doubted Kirk or Korby had even sensed it.

 

“Ah, yes,” Jim was saying. “Dr. Roger Korby.”

 

Adams lit up at the name, eyeing the other 'Doctor' with sudden rapt attention. “It would be an honor to examine the mind of a man such as yourself. I'm a big fan of all you've done for the medical community. A lot of your breakthroughs in medicine have helped as much as my work when it comes to making prisons more pleasant.” 

 

He held out a hand, and Korby shook it with a smile on his face, saying, “I wish we could have met under better circumstances.”

 

“I still don't know what these circumstances are. Come, let us talk in a more private place.”

 

They turned a corner before entering a door. The room was cozy, with two sofas, a desk, and a rolly chair behind the desk. _First_ , Khan mused, _he will ease us into a sense of security. Then he will begin his assault_. The desk had an assortment of switches and devices upon it. Khan wouldn't be surprised if the devices were intended for torturing patients. Adams gestured to the sofa. “Go ahead and-”

 

The door burst open, a young, lanky, brown-haired man marching right up to Adams. The sight of him opened the floodgates to carefully walled-off memories, and Khan was drowning in his rage. He could practically feel the knives slicing through skin, muscle, and ligament. Could taste the blood dripping down his face as he was 'tested' with an hour long beating. And all the while, _this man_ sat back, observing with a PADD in his hands. Jotting down notes as Khan was forced to endure any whim Marcus had, as his family's lives were dangled above his head.

 

Kirk's worried voice filtered through the blood rushing in Khan's ear, with a simple, “Khan?” A warm hand was on his arm, as Kirk continued, “Who is he?”

 

The words that left his mouth were, “A dead man.”

 

“Khan-”

 

Khan broke from Kirk's grip, stalking towards the man that deserved every ounce of pain Khan wished upon him. 

 

“-not leaving until you hand him over to me!” 

 

“I told you, Mr. Peterson is not yet ready to be transferred out. Check in again next month.”

 

“You say that every-” The man broke off, jaw dropping as he saw the superhuman now towering over him. “Khan?” Then the man was scrambling back, ducking behind the other side of the desk. Khan didn't bother to follow, merely watching him with narrowed eyes. It was enough. The man stuck his head up from behind the desk, hands up as if that would protect him, voice shaking as he spoke, “I never hurt you. I just kept track of your cognitive abilities, remember?”

 

Satisfaction filled his mind as he watched the man tremble and fear. Even the collar on his neck wasn't enough to deter fear in this pathetic excuse of a creature. “Novakovich,” he said, allowing his hate to soak his words in poison. “Consider yourself very fortunate I'm not in a position to return to you the acts you allowed to be done to me.”

 

Novakovich glanced at Adams, then at Khan, before making a mad dash for the door.

 

“...I apologize,” Adams was saying, but Khan only half heard him. “He has been harassing me for months over gaining custody of one of my patients.” 

 

This man, who had aided in Khan's manipulation and subsequent torture, was in the same building. Khan had waited for such a moment to exact his revenge. Now that the moment had arrived, he was collared into allowing Novakovich to go free.

 

“Khan.” Kirk's voice brought Khan's attention back to the room. He allowed Kirk to guide him to the sofa, where Korby sat. Still, his mind returned to Novakovich, going through all the delightful ways he could exact his revenge. He'd wait until the collar was off, wake his crew, and have one of _them_ torture the man. Meanwhile, Khan would sit back and pretend to take notes, laughing at Novakovich and claiming innocence when begged for help. 

 

With half an ear, he took in the conversation that had commenced.

 

“Before we start with any questions, I'd like to do a simple scan,” said Adams.

 

“Of course,” said Kirk, images of the blond filtering into Khan's fantasy. How much more delicious would it be for the dear captain to torture Novakovich, dirtying his hands in anger at what had befallen Khan? The idea was intoxicating.

 

“Huh.” Adams held a piece of equipment over Korby's head. “It's not working. This has never happened before.” He put it down, brows furrowed in confusion. 

 

Kirk fell silent for a moment, ultimately saying, “Dr. Korby's an android.”

 

Adams stared.

 

Korby spoke up, “I was dying on Exo III. I had found an ancient ruin where I could make androids, and made an android version of myself. I transferred my consciousness to it.” 

 

“And then he made an android of me and tried to take over my _Enterprise_ ,” Kirk added in.

 

“...very interesting.” Adams was brimming with excitement. “Never have I heard of such a thing. Dr. Korby, you have outdone yourself.”

 

The _Enterprise_ planned on leaving these two together? He glanced at Jim. The frown told him Jim was double thinking this plan, too.

 

Kirk asked of Adams, “How long until you can make a decision on Dr. Korby?”

 

“Probably under an hour, though I'd like to have until tomorrow. It isn't often I get the opportunity to talk to someone with Dr. Korby's accomplishments.”

 

“Alright. I'd like to stay the night, then,” said Kirk. 

 

“Of course.” With a smirk, Adams asked, “Would that be one room, or two?”

 

Kirk was blushing, pausing as if he thought there was an actual choice. 

 

“One room,” Khan said. 

 

Kirk's blush didn't go away, but he didn't contradict Khan. “I'll inform the _Enterprise_.”

 

~

 

Van Gelder continued to struggle on the sickbay bed, crying out and speaking near-gibberish.

 

Spock was distracted from the man by his comm beeping, swiftly opening it. “Spock here.”

 

“ _Kirk here. I'm going to stay the night at Tantalus V, with Khan and Korby._ ”

 

“Acknowledged. Spock out.”

 

"No!” Van Gelder cried out. “He can't spend the night! Your captain's in danger!"

 

"How?" McCoy asked. Van Gelder emitted some strange, gargled noises before collapsing, panting for breath. McCoy shared a glance with Spock. Every time Van Gelder got close to something important he'd break off and become panicked. "Spock... if Jim's in danger, we need to do everything possible to keep him safe."

 

"I agree," said Spock.

 

"Do a mind meld. find out what's in his mind."

 

Spock's lips quirked downwards at the thought. "I am uncomfortable with the thought of sharing minds with him."

 

"Uncomfortable? You've done it twice with Khan! Once with Pike. This is for Jim."

 

"Khan was for survival, and Pike was dying"

 

"Spock-"

 

"I will do it for Jim." Spock approached the crazed man, uneasy about sharing a mind with someone so unstable. “I am going to perform an ancient Vulcan technique on you. Our minds will become one.”

 

“Yes,” Van Gelder urged. “It's the only way!”

 

~

 

“...one bed,” Kirk noted.

 

Khan raised a brow. “We share a bed every night.”

 

“I know. I just mean, I was trying to be professional, not couple-y.” Kirk flopped down on the Queen-sized bed. “So... Novakovich.”

 

“Unless you are willing to torture or kill him for me, there is no benefit in discussing it.”

 

Kirk pushed back to his feet, approaching his superhuman. “I might be able to get away with brawling with him.” He ran his fingers over a tensed jawline. 

 

Khan gripped the fingers, stilling their movement and locking eyes. “He was a scientist tasked with cataloguing test results.”

 

“I'm guessing these are test results on _you_ , and not things you built.” Kirk scowled. “I don't just disapprove of what they did. I _deplore_ it.” _You're mine_ , were the unspoken words. _No one's allowed to touch Mine_. The mere thought made his blood boil. 

 

His damn comm was ringing again, interrupting what he was _sure_ was progress. “Yes?” he demanded.

 

“... _Is everything alright?”_

 

“Yeah, fine,” he said, unable to keep all the distaste from his voice. “Just a bit stressful.”

 

“ _Van Gelder mentioned a Neuron Neutralizer machine. Dr. Adams is using it to control his patients, and used it on Van Gelder. Dr. Van Gelder believes Dr. Adams may try to use it on you. Would you like me to send a protection party down?”_

 

“Yeah, that would be good.” He had just hung up when it rang again. “Yes?”

 

“ _The forcefields are back up, and the colony won't respond to our hails. You will have to take down the forcefields on your own.”_

 

“Understood. Kirk out.” He grinned up at Khan. “C'mon, let's go find the power controls.”

 

“Jim,” said Khan, as the captain headed for the door. 

 

“Yeah?” Kirk asked, turning back to Khan.

 

“If we run into Novakovich, I trust that you will cause him pain.”

 

Jim offered a smile. “Of course. Besides, all your anger for him transferred right to me, so I hated him even before I knew what he did.” He stole a quick kiss from Khan's lips before heading out the door, his right hand entangled with Khan's left. “Ok... so left or right?”

 

~

 

Ethan Novakovich sighed. Following Kirk and Khan around wasn't his best choice, but he couldn't let Dr. Adams sink his claws into them. They had managed to stumble across the neuron neutralizer room, discussing it between themselves.

 

“So this is where Van Gelder was tortured to insanity,” said Kirk. “We should test it out.”

 

Test it out? Was the captain insane?

 

“And who do you suppose goes in the room?” Khan said, tone sarcastic.

 

“You, of course.”

 

“You believe I would willingly enter a machine used to force one's influence on another.”

 

“Yep,” Kirk answered, grinning, “because I'll let you top if you do.”

 

Ethan bit back a scoff. Like sex would be enough for someone to give up their brain. 

 

He was left baffled when Khan entered the room.

 

~

 

Khan laid back on the chair in the neuron neutralizer room, staring up at the circular ring on the ceiling. He couldn't keep the smirk from his face. It would only take one time, and he would have Kirk begging to take his cock. Considering the fact Kirk already had a lot of control over Khan and didn't use it, it didn't make sense for Kirk to take advantage of the machine. 

 

Which left Khan with nothing to lose and everything to gain. There was also the curiosity of if the machine would work on his superior brain.

 

“Alright, I'll turn it on for a few seconds and give you a harmless suggestion.”

 

Khan waited, but nothing happened. “Are you going to start anytime soon? The wait is exceedingly boring.”

 

“It worked!” Kirk cheered. “I turned it on, and suggested that you're really bored.”

 

“That proves nothing,” Khan said.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I'll try something easier to prove. Are you ready?”

 

“Proceed.”

 

At first, he could feel his brain clearing out, leaving nothing but Kirk's voice. Kirk's emotions were always lingering somewhere in there lately, and the combination was strangely compelling.

 

The presence of a different voice startled him, especially in combination with a mind full of panic. But the panic wasn't coming from him. The machine did a good job of blanking out his mind. This panic was from someone else. 

 

He blinked, the room coming back into view. His head felt fuzzy and thoughts came hard to him, but one thing registered perfectly: Jim was panicking. He pushed to his feet, body tingling as he forced his will upon it.

 

“No! It's at full blast, why isn't it working?”

 

Khan tried the door. It had been locked from the outside. It was a strong door, but he was stronger. With both hands, he tore the metal door from the wall. It fell to the ground with a loud _clang_. Adams backed away as Khan stepped over it. “No, it always works. It doesn't matter if you're an augment; on full blast _any_ human brain should submit! It worked when Kirk was using it on you.”

 

Kirk, who had been held back by two guards, used the distraction to escape their grasps. He had them knocked out on the floor, gaining a black eye in the process but ultimately successful. Khan would enjoy healing that later tonight. “It's not because he's an augment,” said Jim. “It's because he's bonded to me. His mind _can't_ be emptied so long as we're connected. I guess, since I'm already 'in his head', simple suggestion works when I do it.” 

 

“That's alright. I have other tricks,” said Adams. “Once I secure you, you can become my new test subjects.”

 

Kirk glanced back at the sound of footsteps, spotting eight guards heading their way. “Damn it,” he cursed, and he and Khan were running. 

 

“If I didn't have this collar on-”

 

“-you'd be locked in a cryotube,” Kirk cut in, the words leaving him short of breath as he sprinted. They skidded to a halt at a dead end. “Alright. If we get trapped, you can act as a human shield as I beat them up.”

 

When ten guards began to run down the hall, each with strange looking weapons, he wasn't sure if his plan would work.

 

A door near the end of the dead-end hall flew open, a voice shouting, “In here! Hurry!”

 

Khan scowled in the direction. “I would rather be a human shield.”

 

“Khan,” Kirk urged. “We need any help we can get right now.”

 

Khan paused for a moment before giving a curt nod. They ducked into the doorway, which was quickly slammed shut and locked. Novakovich turned towards them, stumbling back a few feet at Khan's glare. 

 

“The door isn't going to hold long,” Kirk pointed out, as it began to be pounded on.

 

“I know,” said Novakovich. He headed over to an air vent, gesturing to it. “Crawl through this and you'll find the power control room. It should be somewhere off to the right.”

 

“And you would know this?” Khan demanded.

 

“I know this building inside and out. Don't ask why, just... I'll distract them, hurry up!”

 

Kirk was unbearably suspicious, but ultimately didn't see another choice. “Fine, but if you're working against us you'll _wish_ it was Khan deciding your fate.”

 

Kirk let Khan go in first, following after. Novakovich would have fit a lot better, with his lanky frame. They had gotten a few feet down when voices could be heard from the room. Moving swiftly in such a cramped space proved difficult, elbows and knees hitting awkwardly against the sides as Kirk crawled. He wondered how Khan was moving with such ease. 

 

It was a relief to crawl out into a room, even if Kirk ended up sprawled upon the floor. He was back on his feet in an instant, surveying the situation. Three guards were approaching, as Khan searched for the forcefield generator. Kirk dodged an errant stun, jumping between Khan and the guards. He managed to sock one in the face, leaving himself open to a right hook in the gut. He grunted through the pain, kicking the feet out from a different guard. He stumbled as one collapsed atop him, throwing his arms out to regain his balance. 

 

“Captain.”

 

Kirk pushed the body to the floor, grinning at the sight of his First Officer. “Let's go get Adams.”

 

~

 

Any sympathy for Adams was discarded when he came at them, weapons held high and threats on his tongue. “Van Gelder has fooled you all. Turn back before I'm forced to kill every last one of you.”

 

Spock had Adams stunned in under a second. 

 

 

~

 

“Thank you,” said Korby, as he stepped onto the transporter pad.

 

“Technically, you're being sent to Tantalus V as an inmate,” Jim said, lips quirking in amusement. After the talk he had shared with Van Gelder, he realized the word 'inmate' was only a cover. Really, Korby was to be more of an assistant than anything. 

 

“Yes, well, thank you all the same,” said Korby. His body was engulfed in white wisps.

 

~

 

Ethan Novakovich was _very_ pleased. Unlike Adams, Van Gelder was quite accommodating. Ethan slid the borrowed key card through a lock on a certain door, waiting with baited breath as it slid open. All this time, and things could finally move forward.

 

He shivered as a crumpled body came into view. He hadn't had any delusions that 'Chris Peterson' was being treated well, but he hadn't expected the man to look so _broken_. A head lifted, tired blue eyes widening with disbelief. “Nova... Novakovich?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo, a tie-in with a oneshot of mine, perhaps? Omai. :P You don't need to read 'Trapped', but, ah, it's in the same universe. JSYK.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. Been busy with school, yo, but I haven't given up on this story! (Got good grades; greatly gratified). Hope ya like it~

 

While Kirk saw Korby off, Khan took a moment to speak with Wilson.

Voice below a whisper, Wilson said, “We'll be passing Tantalus VII in a few hours time. It's inhabited, and has a trade ship headed to Sector 001 in a few days.”

Khan gave a near-imperceptible nod, Wilson hurrying back to his station. The time was currently 1900 hours. A simple shuttle-pod, shot in the correct direction, should be able to get him to Tantalus VII.

For now, he had a book to return.

~

“Khan?” Kirk glanced around the transporter room, disappointment settling in as the augment was nowhere in sight. Perhaps the run-in with Novakovich had been more upsetting than Kirk had realized.

“Did Dr. Adams give you any advice?”

Kirk looked up at McCoy, shaking his head. “No. Though I didn't really ask.”

McCoy sighed. “With the way things turned out, that's probably for the best. Where is that augmented tyrant, anyway?” At Kirk's shrug, McCoy chided, “You're letting him run loose?”

Kirk glanced around. The transporter room was mostly empty, but not quite. He stepped closer to Bones, lowering his voice as he said, “We ran into one of the scientists from Section 31. I think it threw him off a bit.”

Bones looked even more disapproving. “He's mentally off-balanced _and_ he's unsupervised?”

Kirk grimaced. “It's not like I can comfort him. This is Khan we're talking about.”

Bones waved that off. “I'm not saying you have to comfort him. Just keep him from doing something crazy.”

~

Khan was overcome with the sudden suspicion that Kirk was alerted every time Khan visited Elizabeth's room. As he exited it, Kirk was standing outside the door. He studied Kirk's features for signs of jealousy, but all he found was worry.

“Khan,” Jim began, hesitantly. “About Novakovich-”

“He is one of the many I would enjoy watching suffer,” Khan cut in. He observed the blond. Jim appeared to be struggling with what to say.

“They really hurt you, didn't they?” The moment the words were out of his mouth, Jim seemed to realize how brash they were. “I mean... Damn, I'm just not good at words, you know?”

Khan raised a brow, finding himself infinitely entertained by the captain's awkward attempts at comforting him. However, it was time to redirect the situation; this wasn't a conversation he was willing to have. Not at the moment, at least. He stepped forward, into Jim's space, placing his hands on the captain's hips. The tenseness in Kirk's form faded, as the situation moved to familiar territory. Khan simply said, “And what _are_ you good at, Captain?”

A pink tongue ran across a bottom lip to wet it, and Khan was overcome with the urge to lean in and claim those soft lips. With an intense amount of will, he held himself in place. Kirk said, “For starts, I'm good at keeping my word.” At Khan's raised brow, Kirk merely grinned. “C'mon, let's go to my room.”

Kirk's meaning dawned on Khan all at once, and suddenly he felt as if they couldn't get to Kirk's room fast enough. Especially when they were intercepted by Spock.

The Vulcan impeding their path took them in with a careful sweep of his eyes. He finished with his gaze on Kirk, an eyebrow raised. “I assume we won't be playing chess tonight.”

“Err... no, not tonight,” said Jim, “but tomorrow for sure.” Khan couldn't resist smirking at the Vulcan. The nearly imperceptible twitch of his lips gave his disapproval away.

Even more entertaining was the fact that there _wouldn't_ be a tomorrow for them to play chess.

Spock gave a nod and a polite, “Captain,” before passing them.

Khan was the one to type in the captain's code, yanking Kirk into the room after him.The door was still in the process of closing when they met in a fierce kiss.

~

Kirk moaned into Khan's mouth, hands grasping for purchase on Khan's hips to force them against his own. Bones would probably say this whole thing was a horrible idea, but Kirk had been _wanting_ this. The thought of Khan on top of him-

He was left panting for breath as lips trailed over his cheekbone, nails digging into Khan's shoulders as teeth bit down on his ear. Voice husky, Khan commanded, “Remove your clothes, _Captain_. Unless you'd prefer I rip them off.”

Kirk shivered at the last sentence. He pulled back enough to look Khan in the eyes. Those lust darkened, salacious blue eyes. “I'd like to see you try.” He dodged the hand that shot out for him, heart pounding as Khan's movements became predatory.

Khan was fast, but Kirk had thus far dodged three times. He felt a grin stretching across his face, even as his body ached with the desire to be caught. He went to dodge again, legs hitting painfully into something and arms wildly thrown out to help him keep his balance. Khan was suddenly before him, giving a final shove that sent Kirk careening backward. A moment of panic filled him at the free fall.

His back hit the cushioned mattress of his bed. Khan crawled on top of him, kneeling over his captive, and Kirk realized Khan hadn't been missing. He had been guiding Kirk to where he wanted him. A strong, long-fingered hand gripped the front of Kirk's shirt.

 _Riiiipppp_.

Khan tossed the torn remains of Kirk's shirt to the floor, gaze heated as it raked over Kirk's form. Kirk swallowed hard beneath that hungry stare, reaching up to remove Khan's shirt. His wrists were immediately grabbed, forced above his head. Khan _tsked_ , leaning down so they were a mere breath's-width apart. Kirk breathed in the other man's breath, dizzied with desire.

In his low tenor, Khan purred, “If you don't keep your hands under control, I'll have to tie them up.”

“Are you trying to get me to move them?” Kirk gasped out, wide eyed at the thought.

Khan tilted his head, raising a brow at Kirk. After a second's observation, a smirk stretched across his face. “My, my, Captain. You _are_ full of surprises.”

Kirk felt his face flush red, but wasn't given long to hold onto his embarrassment. Khan dug his teeth into his own bottom lip, dark red drops welling up. Kirk went to sit up, to lick the drops away. A hand on his chest immediately forced him back down. “What do you say?”

Kirk frowned. Say? “If you don't get going, I'll activate a punishment?”

Khan laughed. “That will not get you what you want.”

“And what do I want?”

Khan simply replied, “Me.” _Riippp_. The sound filled the air, sharp and tangible, as Kirk's pants and self-control were torn from his body. His hands were guided to the edge of Khan's star-fleet issue shirt. Each inch of tantalizing skin revealed left Kirk more frustrated, Khan lending no help, just staring down at him with a challenge in his eyes.

"Do you require assistance?" Mocking. Smug. Sexy.

"Shut up." Kirk felt an absurd amount of triumph as he removed Khan's shirt. "Take off your damn pants already."

Khan quickly divested himself of any remaining barriers. Thoughts fled as the solid, perfect form moved over him with predator's grace, forcing him onto the mattress. Soft lips met his in a way too primal to be called a kiss, tongue and teeth and lips sending one message: Khan would never let him go.

Kirk whimpered as the teeth moved to his neck, leaning into the almost-pain. "Khan-" His voice came out off-pitched, broken off with a moan as a warm hand took his aching erection into hand. " _God_."

Kirk was left arching into nothing, body aching painfully in need as Khan cruelly pulled away and _left_. "Hey!" Khan was a fucking tease.

The augment swiftly returned, an object in each hand clearly presented. "Choose."

One was a razor blade. The other was lube. "...what?"

Lips twitching into a smirk, Khan simply repeated, "Choose."

Kirk glanced at the razor. He imagined it slicing through perfect skin, dark red rubies pearling deliciously. "Give me the razor."

In the next moment, he was flat on the bed, bright blue consuming his vision. The razor was in one of his hands. His attempt to raise it to Khan's skin was blocked. Kirk's next words were muffled by the fingers shoved into his mouth, pressing down on his tongue and nearly making him gag before he got a hold of himself. "Cut yourself."

" _Mmph?_ "

~

Khan looked down at his helpless human, adrenalin washing over him as confusion filled the captain's eyes. "I'll heal you," he coerced, keeping his voice low, watching as a shiver travelled down Kirk's spine.

Kirk hesitated a moment longer, eyes flickering between Khan and the blade. Then, they gained the determination so characteristic of the young man. Red welled up on Kirk's arm, dripping messily onto the bedsheets and staining smooth skin. With his free hand, Khan brought it Kirk's arm to his mouth, running his tongue up the surface.

Tangy. Salty. Boring blood.

Wide eyes focused on Khan. Sharp breaths. Delicious reaction.

Khan removed his fingers, moving his lips down a taut abdomen and swallowing Kirk's neglected cock. A hand immediately tangled in his hair, pulling him closer and sending a rush of heat through him. Hollowing his cheeks, he pressed a saliva-slicked finger into Kirk. He carefully worked in another as he took the entirety of Kirk's length down his throat, swallowing around him.

He looked up the length of the body and into the pleasure-twisted features of his partner, taking in each flutter of eyelashes, and the soft whimper as he scissored his fingers to better stretch him.

Deciding it was enough, Khan pulled off of Kirk's erection, removing his fingers. The immediate sound of dissent cut off as Khan climbed back up Kirk's body. He gazed down at the blond, as legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him close. Khan stole the razor from Kirk, priorly clutched so tightly that it had cut into Kirk's hand and spilled blood all over. Khan lifted it to his own neck, slicing deeply. As lips closed on his neck, blinding him with the sensation, he pressed forward.

~

Liquid pleasure poured into his mouth. He pressed his tongue against the cut to get more of the heavenly substance. The slow burn as Khan pressed into him competed for his attention, Kirk's resulting groan somewhere between rapturous pleasure and pain. He couldn't find the line between the two, writhing pathetically as the feelings overlapped within him. He wondered if a greater sensation could even exist.

Then, Khan shifted his hips, hitting something inside that sparked his mind and body to an even greater high. Sharp, rapid movements dizzied him as he looked up at this man he was so tied to, digging his nails into a solid back to gain purchase against the assault on his senses. He pulled back from the healed wound on Khan's neck, brain shorting as the augment pounded into him, relentlessly hitting his prostate and sending his world swirling. He knew he was saying something, but couldn't hear his own words over the blood rushing in his ears. Lips met in a desperate need for more, Kirk biting down hard enough to get the augment to gasp, tangy deliciousness trickling into his mouth as he pressed into every thrust.

A hand wrapped around his length, giving a few twisting strokes, that thick cock pressing into him and strong muscles coiling beneath his hands, and then it all blurred together, and he couldn't tell where he wasn't being touched, pleasure immobilizing him as he pressed desperately against the augment. _"_ Khan _-_ "

A soft breath whispering with ardent arousal against his lips: "Come for me."

The world flashed white, body trembling as wave after wave of pleasure washed over him. He was aware of Khan tensing above him, face beautiful as he came. Kirk quivered in the aftershocks as Khan pressed a breathless, languid kiss to his lips before dropping down beside Kirk on the bed.

They were a sticky mess, and even as Kirk panted in an attempt to recover from overwhelming sensation and emotion, Khan regained his composure. He got up and was back in an instant with a wet washcloth, wiping them down. Kirk could feel his eyelids growing heavy, and when Khan climbed into bed beside him, he happily welcomed him under the blanket, snuggling up against him and allowing himself to drift off.

~

Absently, Khan ran a hand over the unconscious form beside him. Smooth, pale skin was nearly healed of the multitude of bruises. He glanced at the clock. 2200 hours. Khan had an hour to wile away.

He returned his attention to Jim, marveling at the contrast. Less than twenty minutes ago, the blond had been all passion and fire, taking everything Khan gave. Now, the blond lay on his side with the blanket draped low over his waist. His face, usually brimming with emotion, was fully relaxed. Not even a crease in his brow, as his chest rose and fell with the gentle rhythm of the deeply unconscious.

 _Mine_. The thought seemed to assert itself multiple times a day. The once-annoying fact that they were attached was now a reassurance. It meant, no matter what happened, he wouldn't lose James T. Kirk. Which shouldn't actually be a good thing.

Carefully, Khan got up from the bed. He pulled on some clothes, retrieving a sleeping pill from the stash he had slowly been getting from sickbay. Returning to Kirk's side, he dropped the pill into a slightly-parted mouth. That should make things go more smoothly. Khan hacked into Kirk's PADD, double checking the code he had priorly messed with. It was the same as he had left it.

He shoved the rest of his sleeping-pill stash into his pockets. Thirty more minutes. He glanced at Kirk's nude form. Perhaps he did have things left to do. As fun as it would be to drag a naked Jim around, it could prove disadvantageous in the future.

Ten more minutes. He now had a dressed captain. The sleeping pills were working just fine. Khan paced, mentally preparing himself for any complications.

2259\. Khan pulled out the PADD, going to the punishment section. He took a steadying breath to prepare for the pain, hoping he could hold back the need to scream.

He needn't have worried. The moment he activated each and every punishment, all at once, the world fell black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW have you heard this song? hehehe love the lyrics~
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlCoJfLZV-U


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Proof I'm not going back on hiatus. can't promise that there'll be a chapter every week but I'll def be updating relatively often.

 

In what felt like seconds, the dark world began to shake. “ _Khan? Khan, wake up._ ”

He peeled his eyelids open. Elizabeth stared down at him, her sandy-blond hair falling around her face. “It's time to go.”

“T-tezt-” Khan broke off. Even if he couldn't remember the punishments he had just endured, the after-effects were more pronounced than ever.

“Test the collar?”

He went to nod, the motion akin to pressing his head up through solid cement.

She lifted the PADD from the ground, tapping away on it. She looked up at him. “Feel anything? No? Then we're set to go.”

Yes, set to go. Except he could hardly lift his head.

“C'mon,” Elizabeth urged. “The longer we waste, the more likely I'll get caught.”

He made a mental note of the _I_ , not _we_. He accepted the hand offered to him, legs giving out before he could properly straighten them. The only thing stopping him from smacking face-first into the ground was Elizabeth's arms.

“We don't have time for you to be weak.”

At least he could still glare. Or perhaps he was starting to recover. He lifted his arms, gritting his teeth to ignore the fierce spasming of his muscles. Slowly, focusing carefully on each syllable, he said, “Help... me... up.”

She tried to lift him. Without his joined effort, his solid form would have proved too heavy. He managed to keep standing, albeit with nearly all his weight resting on Elizabeth. She walked him to the bed, sitting him down there. “How long do you need?”

After a quick assessment, he said, “Approksly...proksimly...” Giving up on that word, he simply said, “A minute.” He could feel his strength, bit by bit, returning to him.

After a moment, he could stand with ease. He slipped a bag onto his back, shoving the PADD and a few other things into it. Then, he gathered the sleeping captain into his arms, the warm body held close to his own. “Let's go.”

The halls were mostly empty, though Elizabeth did end up having to stun a wandering ensign for him. She went all the way to the shuttle-pods with him before announcing, “If Wilson's done his job, there shouldn't be any alerts about the shuttle-pod leaving.”

Khan offered a nod. “Thank him for me.” He opened the specified shuttle pod, getting into the cramped space with Kirk and locking them in.

~

Khan double checked the control panel, satisfied that the Shuttle Pod was going in the correct direction. He'd have to keep an eye out for debris, but so far the path was clear. A soft groan met his ears.

“Khan? What...” Confusion turned to panic. “Oh my god. Was the _Enterprise_ attacked?”

“The _Enterprise_ is fine.” Khan turned, mere feet between him and Kirk in the close space. “I have merely escaped.”

Kirk stared for a moment, eyes no less alert, though just as confused. “How- but... your collar.” Kirk's eyes flickered to Khan's neck, a hand 'subtly' checking empty pockets. Most likely for a phaser.

“I deactivated it, though it appears that wasn't enough to remove it.”

Kirk was no longer paying attention, pushing past Khan to the control panel. He huffed when his path was blocked. “I'm going to turn us back around.”

“And how do you propose to do that? Without the collar's commands, you are as much of a threat as an infant to me.”

“Khan, you're not thinking this through. If we go back now I can talk them into keeping you aboard the _Enterprise_ , but-”

“We will not be caught.”

“Yeah? And how are we going to dodge them when you're wearing a tracker?”

“I deactivated the tracker,” Khan reminded.

“You deactivated the punishments. There's a backup tracker activated if anything happens to the collar.”

Khan looked over Jim's expression, but there was no sign of deception. The augment pulled out the PADD he had nicked from Jim, clicking a few things. A little red blip was blinking upon the screen. He exited out of it, searching the PADD for access to the tracker's code. Fingers gripped Khan's chin, a strange warmth he now associated with Jim spreading throughout him. He allowed the hold to guide his gaze up to bright blue.

“There won't be a way to undo it in there,” Kirk stated. “They'll find us, and you'll end up doing something horrible _and_ be taken away from me.”

Khan looked over the person whose fate had become intertwined with his own. Why was it he felt so inclined to do as this man asked? He placed his hand over the one on his face, lowering it between them and interlocking their fingers. “Going back will not get me my crew.”

“Neither will leaving. It'll just lose me _my_ crew. Andyou. You gain nothing and lose everything. They might even decide to just kill your crew, if you cause enough damage.”

Khan clenched his jaw, closing his eyes. He would _not_ give in. He would not turn back after he had finally escaped, would not give up on his family, just because Kirk wanted him to. Khan slammed the blond against the curved wall, leaning over the slightly-bent form to remain at eye level. “So am I to leave them in permanent cryostasis? They will never be allowed their freedom, even with your insistence.”

Jim didn't even flinch. " _Khan_ , _turn us around_."

A deep, bone wrenching shiver travelled through the augment, as he fought the blind desire to do as told. Desperately, trying to cut off that persuasive voice, he wrapped a hand around the young captain's throat. “I will save my crew or die trying, and bring down any who stand in my way.” He didn't know whether he was trying to convince himself or Kirk.

Even as Kirk's face turned red, eyes beginning to bulge, he didn't struggle. He just looked Khan straight in the eye, gaze intense and full of control. If anything, now the blond's emotions were bleeding into him- gentle persuasion to do as he was told. Khan released him. Kirk took in gulps of air, hands fisted in Khan's shirt to hold himself up. Khan should have caught the plotting look, but as the captain launched himself at him, all he did was brace himself against the force.

He barely registered the lips pressed to his, the hands tangled in his hair, as a possessive warmth soaked into his skull, traveled down his spine, and spread to the tips of his fingers and toes. As if on instinct, he found himself pressing back against the captain, pulling him closer. What was the point of removing the collar if he was still so easily undone? _I am stronger than this_.

Was he, really?

Teeth bit down on his lip, his lovely mind failing him as the captain licked up any loose drops of blood.

 _This needs to stop._ The thought floated somewhere in the back of his mind, as he moaned into that perfect mouth and pulled his Jim impossibly close. _My family_...

The captain pulled away, but his influence did not. Khan was shaken, emotions fighting emotions. He wanted to do as Kirk asked. He had to save his family. _I need to convince him_.

Kirk said, "I'm going to call the _Enterprise_ and discuss the situation with Spock."

"I can't allow you to do that." Khan's voice came out with more force than he was feeling.

A sigh; a hand running up and down Khan's arm. Khan was stuck between pressing into the touch and pulling away, ultimately ending up frozen in place. "Tell me your plan." A hint of a possibility of helping Khan. Kirk must have sensed his surprise, because he added, "I've already told you I want to help you get them back, Khan. I just don't want to end up with the entirety of _Starfleet_ after us."

"You are abusing the power of our bond." Khan was disappointed when Kirk didn't rise to the bait. A strange wave of encouragement filled him, and he finally yanked himself from Kirk's touch. If he was going to give in even this much, he would do it without Kirk pervading his senses and thoughts.

A loud _crash_ had him flying into the shuttlepod wall, a groaning captain beside him. "What the hell was-"

Another jolt. Khan glanced out the window, even as his body was forcibly thrown against the wall yet again. Space debris.

~

Pike grimaced at the fuzzy feeling of drugs that had yet to fully wear off, opening his eyes. From what he could tell, he was on the floor of a transit-ship. He vaguely remembered seeing someone familiar and becoming upset. Then, nothing. He figured that was when he had been drugged.

At the control console was... He took a sharp breath, panic filling him as he realized who he was with. E. Novakovich, the man who had monitored him while he was under Marcus' control. So Marcus had won after all. Which meant Kirk was...

"You're awake. How are you feeling?" Novakovich mocked.

Pike gave him his best disoriented-glare. "What does Marcus want with me?" His voice came out weak and raspy from disuse.

Obviously-fake concern came over Novakovich's face. "Pike, Marcus is dead."

A trick. He didn't dare to hope. Not when he was faced with _this_ man. Did he even want to know what had become of Kirk?

~

Just as Khan managed to crawl his way over to the control console, the barrage of space debris stopped. Kirk was standing, one hand braced against the wall as he stared warily past Khan. Most likely at the cracks in the glass. They wouldn't survive another hit.

Kirk gave what was an obviously faked smile. "So... your plan?"

Khan wanted to observe Kirk as he spoke, but decided survival was more important. He chose to observe the universe outside the window to prevent another brush with debris. "We will first go to Tantalus VII, after which we will stow away on a supply ship headed to Sector 001. From there, we will find a way to Sol IV, and rescue my family."

"Ok. How are we going to break into a high security area and steal away with 72 cryotubes?"

"After careful examination, I will formulate a plan to break in. Then, I will wake as many of them as time allows. They will aid me in helping the rest escape. The sooner we can achieve this, the better. We have the element of surprise, as they are unaware that I know where my family is located." Instead of a proper response, Khan found the blond stepping between him and the console, facing him.

"Seriously? That's your great plan?"

"It's in progress. Do you have a better idea?" Khan demanded.

"I might," Kirk said, turning around so he was facing the console, his back to Khan. Khan felt a stirring of suspicion, peering over the blond's shoulder.

He ripped him from the console, moments too late. "What have you done?" he demanded.

"Saved us from your idiocy."

Khan growled, shoving the weak human to the ground and analyzing the console. A number was being called. Not the main U.S.S _Enterprise_ number. A personal one.

Khan quickly ended the call, fire and panic rushing through his veins. That had likely ate into some of their time. He turned the force of his rage on the captain. Kirk remained toppled on the floor, watching Khan with clear apprehension. Why did he have to be tied to such an ornery, obstinate man?

For good measure, he stomped on one of Kirk's legs. Kirk's reaction only frustrated him further. Tears of pain had sprung to his eyes, and he had let out a sharp cry, but he remained just as stubborn. "L-let me talk to him. I called Spock. He can..." He let out a hiss of pain, halting any attempts at movement. "...help."

Khan decided to just ignore Kirk, making his way back to the controls. Tantalus VII was now within view, though still at least 20 minutes away when traveling at the slow shuttle-pod pace. He noticed a small ship minutes before a loud beeping filled the shuttle pod. They were being hailed.

He answered it, a voice filtering in: " _This is_ Tantalus Guard _. Identify yourselves._ "

"We are crew members of the U.S.S _Enterprise._ My crew-mate is sick, and needs medical care that can't be supplied onboard." An obvious lie. The ship would have just dropped them off itself if that was true. Still, these people weren't used to visitors. They didn't know what was or wasn't normal.

This was proven when they responded, _"Oh, ok. Need a lift? You're looking a bit... cracked there."_

"That would be much appreciated."

The moment the call ended, he turned to Kirk. He was sitting against the wall, his broken leg at an odd angle. Khan fished a red pill out of his pocket, kneeling before Kirk.

The blond sighed. "My illness is a broken leg and being unconscious?"

"I can't trust you."

"Says the man that drugged and kidnapped me."

"Perhaps I should just break your jaw, so you can't speak."

Gaze unwavering, Kirk said, "Go ahead."

Khan calculated the exact force he'd need to break Kirk's jaw to prevent coherent speech, without completely shattering the bone. He imagined the sound it would make; the sound Kirk would make.

" _Well?_ _Hit me_."

Khan didn't even remember moving. The sick crack of breaking bone took him by surprise. He stared at his fist, then at Kirk's broken jaw, trying to figure out what had happened.

The blond was _smug_.

Khan growled at the annoying man, realizing Kirk had controlled him through their bond. He bit the skin of his own wrist open, shoving it into Kirk's mouth. He ignored Kirk's grunt of pain as he jostled Kirk's broken jaw a bit more than necessary. "When they come, act sick."

~

Ethan Novakovich carefully landed the transit ship onto the rocky surface below.

"Where are we?" Pike asked, peering outside. He had spent most of the ride with a suspicious gaze on Ethan. It would be difficult to get Pike's cooperation if he couldn't prove that his intent was innocent, and soon.

"Tantalus VII. We'll be taking a ship to Sector 001 in a few days. My... comrades... are currently in the Sol System," he informed, offering Pike a hand up. The once-admiral refused it, only to immediately lose his balance. Ethan quickly caught the man, perturbed by how light he was. "For now, I need you to trust me. I'll prove whatever you need me to prove when we find a place to spend the next couple of nights."

Pike was clearly far from convinced, but he allowed Ethan to guide him from the ship. "...what happened to Kirk?"

Ethan was struck by the deep, tangible pain in those four words. "He's on a five year mission as captain of the U.S.S. _Enterprise_." He could tell him about the captain's bond with a 300-year-old ex-tyrant augment some other time. "Pike?" The man had stopped moving.

"I don't believe you." Pike's voice shook.

"I'll give you web access when we find a place. You can learn whatever you want, without having to ask me." His words seemed to comfort Pike, at least enough for him to accept Ethan's help with walking.

Once they exited the strangely-deserted hangar, it was Ethan who paused their walking. "Let's return to the ship."

The houses lining the streets were crumbled and burnt. Humanoid corpses and glass littered the blood-stained streets.

Pike made no argument. As they turned around, the weakened man moving faster than he probably should have, they were met with an equally disturbing sight.

Their ship was gone.

~

"According to the tracker," Spock told Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, and McCoy, "they are on Tantalus VII. I assume it is only a matter of time before Khan finds a way to deactivate it, so we will have to act fast."

"What I don't understand is why Kirk didn't just use a punishment," said Scotty.

"The punishments were somehow deactivated," Spock informed. "I assume he found a glitch in the programming, after which he-"

"It doesn't matter how he did it. What matters is how we're going to get him and Jim back," said McCoy.

"We have to assume they're together," said Uhura, analyzing Spock's PADD, which showed information on Khan's tracker. "Do we have a way to take Khan down, without bringing too much attention to ourselves?"

"I could supply a heavy tranquilizer," McCoy offered. "Wouldn't bet on it keeping him down for more than an hour, though."

"N' what're we to tell the crew? That we're making a pitstop at Tantalus VII to pick up our captain, who ran away with a criminal?" asked Scotty.

"I suggest a covert mission," said Sulu. "We can put our ship in orbit of Tantalus VII and beam down. We can just tell the crew we're stocking up on supplies."

They all turned their eyes to Spock, who was officially acting captain.

"Lieutenant Uhura, you will accompany me to Tantalus VII. Doctor, bring the tranquilizer to the transporter room. Lieutenant Sulu, take us into orbit. Mr. Scott, prepare the transporter room."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omai. What now? ;P


	15. Chapter 15

Khan and Kirk were swept up in the white wisps of transportation, materializing in the transporter room of _Tantalus Guard_. Kirk scowled up at Khan, trying to wriggle out of the arms holding him to a strong chest. Kirk would rather be stuck on the floor than carried like an infant. The damn augment was doing it for his own entertainment. Kirk was sure of it.

"Oh, he really does need medical care." The voice belonged to a plump man in his mid to late thirties, who stood at the door of the transporter room. "Come along, we'll go to the bridge until I can find a proper place to beam you down."

The wording seemed strange to the blond. He couldn't say anything about it, though, through his still-healing jaw.

They traversed down a short hallway, soon entering the bridge. It was shockingly small, with only one seat before a control console. There were no other seats or crew members.

"This ship can be run by one person?" Khan inquired.

"Well, it's not really a ship," said the man, "so much as a security vessel. Just circles the planet and alerts the authorities if there's any strange activity." The man sat down in the captain's chair, his body spilling out around the arm rests. He pressed a few buttons, lifting a communicator to his face.

Kirk scowled as he was placed on the floor, with his back to a wall. He gingerly opened his mouth, wincing at the immediate shooting pain. He tried to communicate his discontent through his expression. Khan ignored him completely, inching closer to the stranger. He was soon only a meter away.

"...yes, ma'am. I have two visitors," said the stranger, into his communicator. "Starfleet personnel, here for medical supplies. Yeah... No, doesn't look like it. Alright. Right away. O'Conner out." O'Conner hung up. In the next second, a strong hand was wrapped around his throat. Meaty hands shot up, prying uselessly at strong digits.

"Kh-" Kirk broke off into a whimper, pain shooting through his jaw from his efforts. What was Khan _doing_? Through their link, he could only sense cold determination.

"Who are you?" Khan asked, voice deadly calm. He loosened his grip, O'Conner gasping for breath.

"D-Daniel O'Conner, security officer of _Tantalus Guard_."

"What's to happen to us once we beam down?"

"I don't under-"

Kirk cringed when Daniel let out a sharp, pained cry, as his right pointer finger was bent all the way backwards.

"Answer me," said Khan, keeping a tight grip on Daniel's right wrist.

"You- you'll get medical help." A loud crack. A scream. "Sweet Jesus, I'm telling the truth!"

"You will be telling the truth, if I have to break every bone in your body to extract it."

Daniel trembled in his seat, face ashen as he gazed up at the augment. "You...I..." Khan snapped another finger. Tears began to trail down Daniel's face. " _Please_ , stop!"

Kirk couldn't take a second more of this. He used the wall to press himself to his feet, taking a tentative step towards Khan. His leg immediately gave out beneath him, sending him into a painful sprawl on the ground. He pulled himself across the floor, not so easily defeated. After what had to be a minute of struggling, he managed to wrap a hand around Khan's ankle.

Khan glanced down at him. "Trust me, Jim. I am not torturing him for the sake of torture. This man plans to send us somewhere where our disposability is desired."

The man took this as a chance to escape. He got two inches off the chair before being roughly shoved back down. Khan broke Daniel's thumb, reducing the man to a sobbing mess. "Tell me what I wish to know. Or would you prefer I move on to your other hand?"

The man shook his head, his tear-filled eyes wild. "N-no. I..." He took a deep breath. "I send people to my superior that won't be missed."

"Why?"

"I... I don't know." When Khan gripped Daniel's left wrist, he hurriedly continued, "I really don't! I just know that Doctor Adams sent her here, and sent me to be her assistant. I swear."

Khan wrapped a hand around the man's throat. Daniel's attempts to escape were in vain.

"Khan," Kirk finally managed, voice off-pitched from the pain. "Don't...kill...him." Daniel fell limp in the chair.

"I don't intend to," Khan answered. He shook off Kirk's hand, and deposited Daniel to the floor a few feet away. When he returned, he offered Kirk a hand. "Do you really think me to be an indiscriminate killer?"

"Not indiscriminate," Kirk said. The pain in his jaw had faded to a more bearable level. He was pulled to his feet, gripping onto Khan's shoulders to keep his footing.

Khan placed steadying hands on Kirk's hips. "Jim." His name was spoken almost tenderly. "I am an augmented human, not a monster. I have no qualms with killing, but I don't do it without reason."

"Your idea of a reason's very different than mine," said Jim.

"Perhaps. For now, we must craft a plan. O'Conner's superior will be suspicious when he doesn't respond again, and when no one is beamed down. We still need to catch a supply ship in two days' time."

"I can't convince you to go back to the _Enterprise_?"

"No, you cannot."

Jim trailed his fingers over the hard set of Khan's jaw, affection swelling within him when Khan pressed into the touch.

"I just want my family, Jim. Surely you understand that."

Jim closed his eyes, hoping it would guard him from Khan's persuasion. Instead, it made him more aware of the warmth from where Khan's hands still rested on his hips. The silky softness of Khan's cheek against where the fingers of his left hand now lingered. He let out a soft breath, opening his eyes. "Alright, but if we're doing this, you run everything past me. No secrets. No drugging me."

Khan didn't look convinced. "You'll help me retrieve my family?"

Was there really a choice? He was tied to Khan. Even if he could somehow drag Khan back to the _Enterprise_ , the augment would probably hate him. The thought of living the rest of his life with an angry, miserable augment- Hell, just the thought of Khan longing for his family was painful. Kirk blamed the bond for that, too; his ridiculous urge to shield Khan from any hurt.

"Yes," Kirk answered, letting his sincerity fill his words.

He was taken aback when Khan pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "Thank you," Khan murmured against his lips. He backed up a bit, but still kept his steadying hold on Kirk. "Can you stand?"

Kirk tested his leg. The pain was almost entirely gone. Khan must have sensed this, releasing Kirk. "Alright," said Kirk, "let's come up with a plan."

~

Ethan barely kept from stumbling as he was shoved into a cave. The rocky environment he had expected was absent, though the hard tile didn't appear to be any nicer on Pike's knees and elbows. The once-admiral grunted as he hit the ground, but otherwise showed no sign of pain. Their captor, a lean man with empty brown eyes, tugged Pike back to his feet.

The contents of the cave were more intimidating than the emotionless, inhumanly strong man that had taken them there. Two shiny silver tables held the strapped bodies of what might have once been humans. Machines were hooked up to the people, who, to Ethan's horror, were still alive. A tall woman stood over one of the bodies, poking it with a metal device.

"Ms. Regis," said the man that had caught them.

The woman immediately looked up, her irises the same black as her pupils. _What's a Betazoid doing here?_

"Who are they?" asked Regis, words thick with suspicion. When the man remained silent, Regis said, "Matthew, answer me. Who are they?"

"I am unsure," said the-newly-dubbed Matthew. "They came by ship, and were wandering the rubble. After moving the ship, I decided to bring them to you."

"Alright. Give them a cell."

The room they were forced into was lined with clear-walled cells. Bloody, unconscious forms were caged inside. Pike and Ethan were shoved into an empty cell. Without a further word, Matthew left.

Ethan settled down beside Pike on the cold tile. He had finally rescued Pike from solitary confinement, only to get him caught in a cell awaiting torture.

After a moment, Pike asked, "You're sure Marcus is dead?"

"Yes. I saw the footage of him being killed," Ethan confirmed.

Not like it mattered. The plan was seriously set back. Without Pike's help, it could be many more years before they came up with an alternative. No one knew Ethan and Pike were there, so there was no chance of rescue. Pike was weakened, and Ethan had never been good in a fight. _It's hopeless_. Smike would be so disappointed.

"Your misery is delicious."

Ethan flinched, abruptly forced from his thoughts. The woman from earlier was leering through the glass at them. "You're a Betazoid. How can you torture people?"

"You mean because of my telepathic and empathic abilities?" asked Regis, baring yellowed teeth in a mockery of a smile. "I _enjoy_ the pain I feel from others, especially when I'm the cause of it. But we have more important matters to discuss."

Ethan glanced at Pike to see how the man was coping. He looked so tired. So unlike his prior self. Ethan hoped they were topics that he himself could answer, so Pike could have a break.

"Who are these people?" Regis held up a PADD, upon which was a blurry image of two individuals.

"I... can't tell," he said, nervously.

"I'm sure torture will loosen your tongue," was the harsh response.

"No, I mean I don't know. I'd tell you if I knew," Ethan quickly clarified. "It's really blurry."

"You expect me to believe that after months of no one coming to the surface, two unrelated groups come down? Within an hour of each other?"

"There's someone else on the planet?"

Regis stepped back from the cage, frowning. "You're surprised? I suppose you have nothing to do with my associate's sudden lack of response, either."

Ethan shook his head, finding words hard as he tried to absorb all of the information. It sounded like there was a chance of rescue, after all. Either that, or Regis' collection of toys was about to get a lot larger.

~

"Whatever did this has been here for a long period of time," said Spock, taking in the wrecked surroundings. "We may find a greater opposition than Khan while on this planet."

Uhura acknowledged him with a nod, scanning the area for threats. "Do we still have a lock on Khan?"

"Yes, we do," said Spock, as he looked over his PADD. "He is this way."

Their travel led them through lifeless streets. They carefully stepped over and around broken glass and decaying bodies. The bodies appeared to be an array of alien species, likely the permanent residents of this small planet. It occurred to him that it could be the result of a disease that caused aggressive tendencies. "Be careful not to touch the bodies," Spock advised.

They turned down a few more streets. Spock held up a hand when they reached the front of a single-story brick house, putting away his PADD. Taking care to avoid making noise as they walked, Spock and Uhura approached the house. They cleared the front room, pausing as the sound of voices could be heard. Spock and Uhura stood on either side of the entryway to the kitchen, where the voices came from. He gave her a gesture, silently telling her to stay. It would be wisest to listen in first.

"I don't know..." The sound of Jim's voice sent a wave of relief through the Vulcan. Jim was ok. "...what if it kills you?"

Spock shared a glance with Uhura. They had already seen that the death of one could result in the death of the other.

"It won't," Khan was saying. "We need to deactivate the tracker."

Spock signaled Uhura, and they rounded the corner into the room. They directed their stun guns at Khan. Then, Spock actually took in what he was seeing. Khan and Kirk sat on the other side of a table beside one another, Kirk holding a cut wire that connected to a generator in the wall. Kirk wore rubber gloves, holding the wire inches from Khan's collar.

"Spock! Uhura!" Kirk exclaimed, jumping to his feet. The wire fell to the ground.

In contrast to the captain's childlike excitement, Khan tensed. As he got to his feet, his eyes flickered between Spock and Uhura.

Spock ran through his options, trying to pick words that were most likely to produce a favorable response. "We have not alerted anyone of your escape. I assume you escaped to rescue your crew. If you return with us, I will negotiate with Starfleet to awaken your crew."

"They would never allow it," said Khan, with certainty.

Jim lightly touched Khan's arm. Spock was fascinated when Khan relaxed, if only by a fraction. Jim said, "You can trust Spock. Think about it. Even if you awaken them on your own, what then? Are you just gonna fight anyone that comes your way? It's not like 300 years ago. Spock's offer is better."

The loud _crunch_ of feet stepping on fallen wreckage cut off any responses, the four of them freezing.

Spock circled around the table, so he could keep an eye on both Khan and the door. Uhura mirrored his movements.

The young boy stumbling through the door was far from what they had expected. He couldn't be more than ten, blood caked into his hair and dried on his skin. Spock and Uhura kept their phasers aimed at him.

"Please help me," whimpered the boy. "My mama's sick."

"Lt. Uhura," said Spock, not wanting to put too much distance between himself and Khan.

Uhura carefully approaching the boy. "What happened here?"

"People started hurting each other," said the boy. "All the smart people died or disappeared. And then supplies stopped coming." He looked down at his feet. "It's just me and my mama now. We 'scaped before it got too bad."

"This is clearly a trick," said Khan, breaking the tear-jerking moment. "It seems unlikely that there are only a few survivors, and one of them happened upon us."

"I followed the lady and the Vulcan," said the boy.

Khan didn't look convinced.

"If there's even a possibility of it being true, then I'm not leaving without at least checking it out," said Kirk. "Something's going on, and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it."

Part of the _Enterprise_ 's job was to help those they came across, as long as it didn't go against the Prime Directive. On top of that, Jim Kirk had set his mind to helping. Spock had learned long ago what that meant. It seemed Khan had learned, too, for he didn't argue. He did look seriously irked, though.

"I propose a truce until we 'get to the bottom of this', as the captain worded it," said Spock.

"Tell me you will not incapacitate or attempt to subdue me," said Khan.

"Unless you attack Lt. Uhura or myself, I will not attempt to subdue, incapacitate, or capture you while we investigate," Spock promised.

"Then I promise the same," said Khan, brushing past Spock with full confidence. Kirk stumbled after him, being dragged by his wrist.

"I can walk, you know," said the blond, without any bite.

Instead of releasing him, Khan slid his hand from Kirk's wrist to his hand, interlocking fingers. To the boy, he said, "Show us."

~

The boy led them back the way they came, and across barren land. They circled a hill, until an entrance came into view. "In here," said the boy, running inside. Uhura and Kirk waited outside, prepared to rush in if there was a problem.

Khan stepped in after Spock. He took a quick note of the tile floor, before his eyes zeroed in on two metallic medical beds. They were eerily similar to the ones Marcus had sometimes bound him to, and nothing like what one would find in a medbay or even surgery room. They looked more fitting for autopsies.

Or, in his experience, vivisections. He fought back the wave of horror washing over him, averting his eyes from the beds. _Focus_.

"This way," said the boy. "Hurry!" He ran through a door. A man exited before they could follow the boy, approaching them menacingly.

Khan stared, gobsmacked. "...Matthew?" He placed a hand to his forehead to steady himself when the world began to sway. He fell to the floor as he was punched in the gut, blinking hard to clear his eyes. He knew a member of his crew when he saw one, but it was impossible.

Spock blocked the next punch, managing to knock Matthew back with a strong right hook. As a reward, Spock was punched in the face. "Khan," said Spock, dodging another hit. "I would appreciate your help."

Warm, familiar arms were wrapping around him from behind, Kirk's voice a whisper in his ear. "Who is he?"

Kirk's presence grounded Khan, his strength returning. "A member of my crew," he answered.

Uhura rained stuns on Matthew, and Spock soon had the augment knocked out on the ground. Khan knelt next to him, looking for any inconsistencies from the man in his memory. Khan heard Kirk relaying what he had told him to Spock and Uhura.

"Watch out!" Kirk exclaimed, dropping down to the floor beside Khan. Spock and Uhura followed suit. Spock was at just the wrong angle, a phaser shot sending him limp to the ground. Uhura pressed two fingers to his pulse point, giving Kirk a nod. He was alive.

"How cute, coming all this way for a little child."

Khan locked eyes with dark black, a tall woman approaching them. Uhura shot at her with her phaser, the woman ducking out of the way with a laugh.

"It's quite impressive," the woman continued. "No one's managed to take down my little servant before now."

 _Servant_. Red flashed across Khan's vision. No one from his crew- not one member of his family- was anyone's servant. He didn't remember getting to his feet, the shots fired at him filling him with body-wracking pain. He didn't care. All the pain in the world wouldn't keep him from his goal. He ripped the phaser from the Betazoid's hand, wrapping a hand tightly around her neck when she tried to escape. She let out a horrible screech, so he further tightened his grip, blocking off her air.

"Don't kill her. She might have information we need," said Kirk.

He was right, of course. She could have information about Khan's crew, and why one of them was here. He tossed her to the floor, stepping on her sternum to keep her in place. Her long legs flailed, failing to make contact with him.

Together, Kirk and Uhura restrained the woman's arms. Spock, who had revived during this time, pulled out handcuffs that Khan recognized as the ones that could hold even him, cuffing the Betazoid's wrists in front of her. Spock stunned her with his phaser, the woman falling unconscious.

Khan resisted the urge to return to Matthew's side. He had to eliminate the threat, which meant keeping an eye out for any more opponents.

"Khan," said Spock, "Uhura will stay here with you. The captain and I will look into the other rooms."

A smart move. The Vulcan knew that, without Kirk, Khan wouldn't be going anywhere.

Spock and Kirk entered the door that the boy had disappeared into, returning with the young child at their heels.

"I-it's really safe?" asked the boy.

"Yeah, we'll take care of you," Kirk promised. "Just stay here for a second, alright? My friends will watch you." Kirk and Spock went off to examine another room.

The boy stood with his arms wrapped around himself, avoiding eye contact.

"Do you-" Khan broke off, chest constricting painfully. The backs of his eyes burned. It took him a moment to realize they were symptoms of emotional turmoil, and not the result of any physical ailment. _Jim_ , his mind supplied. It took all of his will power to not run to the captain. To not pull him in and comfort him in any way he could. Jim was his, and he was suffering.

"...are you alright?" asked Uhura, and Khan realized he was trembling.

"Something's wrong with Kirk," he explained, words strained. Warm blood dripped from his palms, but he still couldn't force his fists to unclench.

A door flew open, bringing with it a sight just as strange as one of Khan's crewmen. Ethan Novakovich followed Spock, and behind them were Kirk and a man Khan knew to be dead. In fact, he had been the one to kill him.

Kirk had an arm around the much-older man's waist, helping him walk. The man's features were worn, and gave a sense that the man had gone through more than he could handle.

Uhura inhaled sharply. "Pike?"

Kirk's eyes were wet. "He's... he's alive. Not in good shape, but alive."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lotsa plotty things goin' on here, eh? :P


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! :) Thanks for the continued support~

Bones entered the transporter room, a blurry-eyed Betazoid being dragged past him by a fleet of a security officers. She would need a medical check. For now, however, he had to see to his returned crew members and captain. Two men were rushed past him by further security. He didn't get a good glimpse of them.

His first instinct was to whip out his tricorder and scan each and every one of them. Jim was wide-eyed and pale, helping an older, wearied man stand despite his own apparent exhaustion. A young boy held onto Kirk's free hand, the boy so thin he nearly disappeared within his rags. Spock had green blood oozing from a cut on his cheek, and Uhura looked like she was barely holding herself together. Khan held an unconscious stranger close to his chest, as if afraid the man would disappear.

"Report to sickbay, immediately."

"Yes, I am inclined to agree with the good doctor," said Spock. McCoy narrowed his eyes. Did he think he could get out of an examination? Spock continued, "Captain, Khan, report to sickbay. Take-"

"Not just them!" Bones broke in. "All of you! You can speak when I've ran some tests and we know you're not on the brink of sudden death." He crossed his arms, standing resolutely in the doorway.

"Bones," Jim said, the break in his voice further alerting the CMO. "We found Pike."

"Alright, that's enough," Bones snapped, deciding against engaging with his delirious captain. "To the sickbay, _now_ , or I'll hypo your asses and drag you there myself. That includes you, too, Khan."

Khan blinked up at McCoy, as if just noticing him. "Doctor, I request permission to observe and oversee this man's treatment." Despite the wording, it wasn't a request in the slightest.

McCoy didn't have to ask who Khan meant, glancing at the man still within Khan's arms. "Fine, but don't think you're getting out of a checkup because of your genetics. You can talk about what happened after I've made sure you're all healthy."

Jim glanced at the man next to him, an indecipherable expression on his face. "Alright, everyone, let's report to sickbay."

Bones felt his jaw drop. Jim _never_ agreed so easily. Especially not when there were clearly questions to ask, and other duties to perform. He decided he would run a few extra tests on Jim.

They managed to make it to sickbay without losing anyone. McCoy instructed everyone to go to their own bed. He assigned a nurse to check Spock and Uhura, who appeared to be the least hurt, and assigned another nurse to the young child.

Kirk had already helped the unknown wearied man to a bed, eyes glued on him. Likewise, instead of taking a bed himself, Khan had laid the strange blond man onto a bed. McCoy glanced between the two, making a quick decision to start with Khan. He needed to make sure Khan was kept in a stable state, more than anyone else. His addled mind was the most potentially volatile.

~

Khan couldn't take his eyes off of his crew mate. He was supposed to be the one to awaken them. He had promised them a better world if they followed him into the cold depths of space, not torture and blind servitude to an alien species. He had given his everything- his mind, his body- to keep them from Marcus' grasp. Now, he didn't even know where the rest of his family was, or what horrible fate was forced upon them.

Bones was moving a tricorder over the sleeping man's head. Khan analyzed the doctor, one of the few people Jim gave his trust and affection to. McCoy peeled back Matthew's eyelids, shining in a light. "Khan, what do you know about this man?" His brow was furrowed, face tight and pinched. Khan barely kept from grabbing McCoy's wrist when the doctor administered a hypo to Matthew.

 _I can trust him_ , he told himself, hoping he wasn't making another mistake that his family would pay for. "He is a member of my crew."

Bones let out an exasperated sigh, and Khan soon found callused hands shoving him towards a neighboring bed. Khan acquiesced, settling down onto the bed, but kept an eye on Matthew.

"It doesn't looklike you're suffering from delusions, but I'd have to run a few more tests to rule it out," Bones commented. Khan was momentarily blinded by the light shined into his eyes.

The doctor's words barely registered over his own mental monologue, gradually increasing in volume. His thoughts were going in circles, a broken record within his mind: _I failed them, I failed my crew, tortured, servants, hurt, failed them, inferior, failedthemfailedthemfailedthem_.

It wasn't like with Marcus. He didn't have one person to direct his rage towards. It wasn't like when he was placed on the _Enterprise_ for rehabilitation, assured that his family was all in one place, safe.

He had failed them, and didn't know how he could make up for it.

Soft, pleasant warmth, fighting through the fog of his mind. A name on the tip of his tongue. Soulful blue eyes. _Jim_. Instead of the doctor, Jim was before him. Tired, shell-shocked Jim. _His_ Jim, the warmth of his hands seeping into Khan and warming his entire being from where they rested on his forearms.

"Khan." The captain's voice trembled, alerting the brunet. "Let's go talk to our prisoners."

"I should be here if Matthew wakes up." Khan had already failed Matthew. He couldn't leave him.

"I told Bones to keep him in an induced coma."

Khan wasn't sure how he felt about that. With how violent and distant Matthew had been, he couldn't condemn the decision. "Alright. But he is not to be awoken while I am gone."

"Of course."

~

Usually, Ethan would be distressed to be kept in a cell. Now, trapped within the _Enterprise_ brig and free from his prior doom, he could only feel relief. In the cell across from him was Regis, dark eyes scanning the area. In the cell across from the brig's entrance was a plump man, still passed out on his cot.

"Novakovich."

Ethan glanced up at the sound of his name, Khan and Kirk standing just outside the glass. He swallowed hard, suddenly glad for the barrier between them. They had no reason to hurt him, but their emotional upheaval made him weary of upsetting them. He tried for politeness. "Captain Kirk, Khan."

The psychologist in Ethan was endlessly intrigued by their interactions. They shared a glance, silently communicating something. Perhaps who would speak first? Or what question to ask?

Khan's deep baritone mixed a healthy dose of fear into Ethan's intrigue. "Tell us everything."

Everything. Where would he even start? There was no reason to lie anymore. He just had to figure out what to say, and how to say it. "I... I guess it began when Marcus assigned me to assess the mental state of a man named John Harrison. I was informed of Harrison's augmented status and history, as were the other core members of Section 31. Though, through Marcus's very biased lens." He paused to take in their reactions. Calm. Listening.

"I quickly realized that this wasn't a typical operation." _They never referred to Khan as a person. It was always 'The Augment,' as if that justified endless hours, days, weeks of physical and psychological torture. But I couldn't go against the leader of Starfleet. Who would believe me?_

"I wanted to quit, but when I went home, there was a man in my apartment. Smike. In less than 20 minutes, he would convince me to stay and risk everything. He was an augment, one of 19, born in the year 2134."

Khan's eyes flashed with recognition. "I've read of them, in _History of the 22_ _nd_ _Century_."

"That old book you left on my dresser?" asked Kirk. "You took it when you took _The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes_ , right?"

"Indeed," said Khan. "Apparently, a Doctor Soong stole 19 augmented embryos left over from the eugenics wars and raised them. It claimed they all died."

"Well, they did," said Ethan. "This augment, though, didn't have any advanced abilities, aside from heightened hearing. But when he was shot by one of his brothers, it was as if his augmented genes had been dormant, and the threat of death activated them. Instead of dying, he healed. And he continued to have accelerated healing."

"That's all very interesting," said Kirk, "but what does he have to do with anything?"

"Apparently he had spent those years getting men on the inside. He wanted to continue Soong's work- altering the embryo's DNA to fix the violent gene that made them destroy themselves. And he asked me to steal some of the embryos being stored in Section 31. He wants to prove that our society can live peacefully with augments, and benefit from their presence.

"But then..." He glanced at Khan. "...we didn't realize how far Marcus had manipulated Khan. After everything that happened, we couldn't go forward with our plan. Augments were seen as a threat again. But if we could get Pike, then he could turn things around for us."

~

The first thing Matthew felt as he regained consciousness was thick, fuzzy cotton filling his skull. He considered pretending he was still asleep. His mind was the clearest it had been since... well, since he had arrived here. He couldn't quite place how he had gotten here, in this cave, though. Any attempt at figuring it out left him with a splitting headache. But Regis– that strange, dark eyed being– always knew. Somehow, his every thought, every feeling, was accessible to her.

When he opened his eyes, he knew he was dreaming. Three faces greeted him, none of them suggesting a threat to his being. And one of the faces... the mere sight filled him with admiration, and he knew he could trust this dark haired man. _Khan_ , his mind supplied.

Sharp knives dug into his skull, and he let out a cry, grasping at his head to get them out, but his hands went right through them, the blades twisting a scream from his throat. His eyes burned as blood trailed down his forehead, beaded on his eyelashes, and dripped into his vision. " _Stop_ ," he pleaded. He saw a hypo heading for him, and tried to shy away. No, no, not _more_ pain. Was this not torture enough?

Cool, cool black, enveloping him. He embraced the only peace he knew: unconsciousness.

~

Deep, gut-wrenching guilt tore the breath from Kirk. "Khan," he beseeched, barely managing to keep his voice stable. His own emotions, he could handle. He was the captain of a starship. But _Khan's_ emotions...

Khan's emotions were a living, breathing beast, clawing through Jim's veins and threatening his very sanity. "Khan, please." He grasped onto Khan's shoulder and upper arm, legs threatening to collapse. He barely noticed the tricorder being waved around him. His grip tightened, panic tearing through him. Also not his, yet stronger than anything he would experience on his own.

"Calm down," Bones ordered, gruffly.

"I _can't_ ," Kirk whimpered.

Bones ignored him. Kirk felt a spark of hope, realizing Bones was talking to Khan. "If you can't get yourself under control, I'll hypo you."

Khan shot a warning growl at the doctor. "I would like to see you try."

"You're hurting Jim."

The muscles beneath Jim's hands tensed, and Jim got the sudden feeling that Khan had never questioned his emotions before. "I can't. I was designed with enhanced emotions, to fuel my ambition and savagery."

"How superior are you if you can't control your emotions and _think_? Damn it, man. You're a human, not an animal. _Act_ like one."

Kirk's knees buckled beneath him. He was kept up only by Khan's arms swiftly wrapping around him. "Stop it, Bones. You're making it worse."

"Is this all you are?" McCoy continued. "What some scientists hundreds of years ago decided to make you?"

The words were unintelligible to Jim. He whimpered through the fog, made up of hurt and guilt and pain and misery and rage. And then, through it, a strange sensation. Not lifting the fog, but permeating it.

"Administer a medium strength sedative," Khan ordered. Instead of his usual confidence, he sounded... resigned. Resigned to hypo-ing Jim? Being hypo-ed was the last thing he wanted right now.

But the hand holding the needle went right past him, injecting the sedative into the augment he clung to.

Jim could breathe. The emotions were still there, buzzing in the back of his mind, but they had been dampened. He looked at Khan. His eyes were glazed over, the sharp lines of his face somehow softened in his drugged state. "I hope you appreciate this," Khan said, and Jim supposed it was meant to sound harsh. He looked absurdly vulnerable.

The blond felt compelled to reward Khan's choice, but sickbay wasn't the proper place for that. "I'll make sure to thank you properly, later," Jim promised, grinning at the flash of interest he sensed from Khan. "For now, I've got to set up a meeting so we can discuss our options. Bones, will Pike be able to make the meeting?"

Bones raised a brow. "You still believe he's Pike?" When Jim didn't respond, the doctor rolled his eyes and approached the once-admiral's bed. He gazed down at the sleeping face. In the next second, Bones was running the scanner over himself, scrutinizing the readings. "Either your delusions are the result of a contagious disease, or Pike has returned from the dead. Or maybe it's a clone. People don't just come back from the dead."

"I did," Jim pointed out.

"Yes. Because I filled you with Khan's blood," Bones snapped. "Khan was on Kronos when Pike died. I doubt someone had a reserve of his blood, used it on Pike, and then hid him away for years without being discovered."

"Marcus took numerous blood samples from me," said Khan, eyes darkening. "Furthermore, Pike's poor physical state and signs of psychological damage, along with the secret of his revival, suggest that it was Marcus' doing. I know of no one else willing and capable of doing such a thing to a Starfleet Admiral."

McCoy shook his head. "Human blood bonds. Undead patients. They don't pay me enough for this."

Jim decided not to comment on the fact that they weren't paid at all. "Moving on. I have to set up a meeting. Khan, I need you to stay here." He raised a hand when he saw Khan open his mouth to respond. "Your emotions are too unstable right now and I need to be clear headed. For now, I need you to stay under Bones' watch, and keep an eye on Matthew. And Pike, if you don't mind."

"You expect me to sit back while you search for what happened to my family?"

Jim lifted his chin to gain that half inch of height he had on Khan, wanting to assert both his confidence and authority. "I expect you to trust me. I feel compelled to be near you, you know that. And I want anyone who's committed crimes against you and your crew to pay. I wouldn't ask you to stay if I didn't fully believe it was the best option." He forced himself to keep his composure as his augment stared him down. He held still as a hand landed on his wrist. It was different than usual. He didn't experience a sudden burst of emotion, or a rush of need. Instead, he felt a questing force pressing against his emotions. Measuring. Testing.

"Will you report everything to me, despite the affect you believe it may have on me?" With that question, things clicked into place. Khan was using their bond like a lie detector.

That was actually quite brilliant. Perhaps Jim would try it out on Khan sometime. In response to Khan's question, he said, "I will." With those words, he tried to exude all the sincerity he felt. Khan pulled away. The sensation of his senses pressing against Kirk's was decreased, but didn't disappear altogether.

"I'll hold you to that. However, if I sense that you are in danger, I expect to be immediately transported down."

"I'll make sure Scotty knows." Kirk's arm was grabbed once more, this time keeping him from leaving.

"I also want to have a direct line to you."

Well... he couldn't deny him that. Kirk glanced at Bones. "Can you find him a communicator?"

Bones grumbled something under his breath, then said, "Yeah, yeah, get out of here. I'll set your boyfriend up."

"Mate," Khan stated.

"What?" asked Bones, crossing his arms.

"I'm his mate, not his boyfriend."

"And I'm a doctor, not a linguist. If you really expect me-"

The sickbay doors slid shut behind Kirk, cutting off the rest of the conversation. He hoped he had made the right decision in leaving them together.

~

After a quick meeting between Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, and Scott, they had made a plan. They were to go to the Tantalus V Penal Colony and question the imprisoned Doctor Adams. This close to Tantalus V, they couldn't use warp drive to reach it. Still, Sulu managed to cut the expected hour of travel to 30 minutes.

When Kirk called down to the penal colony, Van Gelder answered the phone.

" _Captain, I didn't expect to see you so soon._ "

"You sound like you've recovered," Kirk couldn't help but noting.

" _Well, enough to lead the penal colony. I still have gaps in my memory. But why are you here? Not just to check up on me, I'd imagine?"_

"We need to speak to Tristan Adams. It's urgent."

" _I'll lift the barriers. Beam down whenever you're ready._ _Is that all?_ "

"Yes. Thank you. Kirk out." After ending the transmission, he headed out of the bridge. Spock was at his side by the time they reached the transporter room.

"Captain, is it wise to leave Khan alone right now?" asked Spock.

"He's not alone. I left him with Bones." Not giving Spock a chance to question him further, Jim said, "Scotty, energize."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omai. What is Adams going to tell them? What will they find? ;P


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! Been a while. Have a chapter :)
> 
> Warning(s): semi-graphic descriptions of injured, comatose OCs. Implied torture.

Chapter 17

 

 _78... 79..._ Adams squinted up at the ceiling tiles, trying to figure out where he had gone wrong. When multiplying the rows by the columns, he had gotten 80, but when individually counting he always ended up with 79.

He sighed, trying to find some other way to occupy his time. He hadn't expected to be locked up for more than a few hours. The small room, with nothing but a cot and a door to a meager bathroom, offered no means of entertainment. His fingers itched with the need to return to his experiments. If he didn't get out within the next day or so, his specimens might all be dead. There were so many tests he had yet to run.

Maybe they would give him new specimens. He could use fresh bodies. If they hadn't done anything with the remaining ones, they should have 60 left to spare.

The cell door flew open. In came Van Gelder, followed by a familiar blond captain and Dr. Korby. Adams was intrigued by the Vulcan who, if memory served him right, had aided in his defeat. _A Vulcan_. To have one of those on his side would be invaluable. With his mind-melding abilities, a neuron-neutralizer machine wouldn't even be necessary. It was unfortunate that Vulcan was destroyed. It made it impossible to get one under his microscope.

The captain walked right up to him, breaking his train of thought. "What do you know about Tantalus VII?"

"Did you go down there?" Adams asked. "Did that augment of yours like what he saw?"

Kirk's face gave nothing away. "How did you get your hands on one of Khan's crew members? They're supposed to be under Starfleet's protection."

"They _are_ under Starfleet's protection."

The Vulcan, who had been carefully observing, said, "Section 31 has been dismantled, and Khan's crew is being kept under close watch by various Starfleet officials."

"Exactly," Adams said, jittery with joy as he watched the Vulcan and Kirk exchange looks. He shouldn't tell them, but he could already imagine the looks on their faces, the horror when they _saw_. But if he was going to break rules, he would milk as much entertainment out of this as he could. Training his gaze on the captain, he said, "And the augment you found on Tantalus VII wasn't the only one they gave me."

 _Pupils dilating, hands clenched so tight the knuckles are white_. When Adams got out of here, he was going to enjoy watching the surveillance tape, scrutinizing Kirk for any missed details.

Kirk stepped closer, as if he believed his few inches of extra height would intimidate Adams. "Where are they?"

"I would normally negotiate at this point," said Adams, "but I'm curious how you'll control your pet augment after he learns about this. Van Gelder, take down the location I'm giving."

Van Gelder didn't meet Adams' eyes, only offering a nod in response. Still recovering from the neuron neutralizer machine, then.

~

Kirk watched as Van Gelder typed a code into the door's keypad. It had taken them fifteen minutes to find the room. Kirk was confused to note that they had actually _passed_ this door twice. Van Gelder had seemed off since they had left Dr. Adams' cell.

The door opened. Van Gelder walked in, flipped on the switch, and froze.

Kirk pressed past him, pausing as he attempted to make sense of what he saw. It was a lab, ceilings and walls blindingly white. Eleven bodies were each on their own metal slab, an assortment of tubes and wires leaving some, others thoroughly bound to their slab. He stepped forward to get a better look at the nearest body, his mind finally registering exactly what he was seeing.

Adams had done... _this_... to Khan's family. Adams had done this to Khan. Adams needed to suffer.

Kirk shut his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart. "Spock, call..." He cleared his throat, forcing his voice to come out stronger as he tried again, "Call Bones down." Now if only he could force his heart to slow, force his breathing to steady, force his stomach to stop turning. Adams had hurt _his_ augment, and every muscle in Kirk's body was tensed as he fought back the urge to do something about it.

He opened his eyes, looking at the bodies again. Most were mangled and twisted beyond repair. He had seen plenty of death, but he had never seen something so gut-wrenching. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he had to turn away before the sight overwhelmed him. How could anyone do this to another person? He couldn't let Khan see this. He wasn't sure if he should let _himself_ keep seeing this. It was too horrible, too _personal_ , too intertwined with a bond he couldn't control.

~

Khan gazed down at the man lying unconscious upon the sickbay bed. Despite his haggard frame, there was no mistaking him. Outside the Daystrom meeting, in his jumpship, Khan had focused on each face, memorizing their fearful, stricken expressions before shooting them down; aiming for admirals and captains, the most likely culprits of his suffering.

And it was all for naught. He cast a glance at Matthew, still slumbering away in a medically induced coma. He had failed to take out his true enemies, instead gunning down men like the one before him. This "Pike" that Jim loved so much had likely been tortured by the very organization Khan had been trying to take down.

A soft groan dragged him from his musings. Bones was immediately on the other side of the bed, elevating it so Pike was propped up. "How're you feeling, Admiral?"

Pike squinted at the doctor. "Where..." He grimaced, voice coming out scratchy. McCoy said something to a passing nurse, who soon returned with a cup of water. He held it for Pike, helping the man drink. Voice still weak, Pike tried again, "Where's Kirk?"

"Taking care of some business. For now, you need to rest. "Even with all of my equipment, it'll take a few days for you to reach a functional level, and at least a month to return to your prior strength."

"I won't be able to rest until I know Jim's ok," said Pike.

McCoy raised a brow, but nonetheless gave in, "He's trying to figure out what happened on Tantalus VII. He's not onboard right now, but I'm sure he'll be happy to fill you in once..."

Khan couldn't focus on the rest of the sentence, his heart racing in his chest and breath coming hard. He attempted to calm himself, but his blood continued to pound in his ears, vision swimming with stars. His hand flew to his mouth as he doubled over, forcing back bile.

Slowly, slowly, the sickness subsided, replaced with an underlying sense of unease. It had to be because of Jim. Khan had never been close to throwing up before in his entire life. What had evoked such a strong reaction from the blond? He forced his eyes open, not remembering when he had closed them. With shaking hands, he fumbled for his communicator.

"Khan," a voice was saying. He ignored it, punching in the numbers McCoy had earlier told him. It picked up on the third ring.

"What happened?" he demanded, before Jim could get a word in.

"... _I'm so sorry, Khan._ "

"What. Happened."

" _Just... come down here. I'll tell you in person_."

The first words Jim spoke finally registered with the superhuman. His skin crawled with the implications. "My crew?"

" _Get Bones and beam down._ " The line went dead.

~

When Khan reached the penal colony, McCoy watching him intensely, he immediately walked up to Jim. He ignored the flittery android- Dr. Korby- at his side, in favor of linking both his hands with Kirk's. He wasn't going to let himself be deceived. "What happened?"

Jim visibly schooled his features, face impassive. It was a pointless effort- Khan could feel every emotion emanating from the blond. "We found eleven of your crew members. Six are dead and the other five... They don't look good."

Someone had killed and tortured his crew.

"Khan, look at me."

Someone was going to be tortured and killed.

" _Khan_ , _look at me_."

He stared wildly into bright blue eyes. "Take me to the person responsible."

"He'll pay for what he did," said Jim, "but you can't kill him."

Khan wanted to rip from Jim's hold; wanted to throttle him and demand he comply. Instead, he was incapable of even breaking Jim's gaze. "You _approve_ of what happened?"

"I will _never_ approve of someone hurting you. But we don't gain anything in killing him."

Jim clearly wasn't going to budge on this. Khan would need a different tactic. "Who's responsible?" When Jim didn't immediately respond, Khan guessed, "Dr. Adams?"

"Yes," Jim confirmed, after a second's hesitation. "And if we kill him, we'll lose our advantage."

"What advantage could we possibly have?" He hadn't even seen what had become of his crew, but judging from the sensations he had experienced, it was extremely disturbing.

"We can use this in a court to get Starfleet to investigate. We might even be able to convince them to wake your family, with Pike and Van Gelder's help."

Jim was so hopeful, so filled with faith for his broken institution.

"If Starfleet lets him go, I'll help you in whatever way you want. I just need you to give them a chance."

He could feel the honesty, but couldn't understand it. To make such a promise, Jim's faith in Starfleet had to be truly profound. "...show me to my crew."

~

After a few turned corners, they reached the room that Adams had told Kirk and Spock about. The door was wide open when they reached it. Kirk was relieved to see that the mess had been cleaned up since he had left. The trays upon trays of bloodied tools were nowhere in sight, replaced with a table full of clean, ordinary medical tools. There were no longer reddish brown stains on the floor, or metal slabs operating as beds. More importantly, the eleven people that the records had identified as members of Khan's crew (or, more correctly, Augments 2-12) no longer appeared mangled and twisted.

Khan's first action was to head over to the six bodies laid side-by-side on the floor. Jim shivered at the thought of what Khan would find. It didn't take a doctor to see the cause of death. Or, worse, to see what _wasn't_ the cause of death.

"You sure it's a good idea to bring him here?"

Kirk kept his eyes on Khan, even as he responded to Bones. "I'm sure it's a bad idea to try and keep this from him."

"I can't argue with you on that. But we're gonna need to keep a close eye on him. His collar's not working, and now he's confronted with this. Jim..." Bones paused, only continuing when Kirk looked at him. "You're the only thing keeping him from going off the deep end."

Jim watched as Khan headed over to the five living crew mates. Living, in the technical sense of the term. The sharp spikes of rage and sorrow Jim sensed from Khan only served to confirm Bones' words.

"Anyway, I need to go check up on them. I don't trust the reports of the doctors here."

"Alright. I'll find Spock and see if he's made any progress."

~

"Anything I should know about them?" McCoy asked, pulling back the sheet on the nearest augment. _Extensive bruising, infected lacerations, scar tissue._

"There is one thing," said Khan. The low tone of his voice caught Bones' attention. "However, I need it to stay off the records."

"If it can help me with their care, I need to know. It could be the difference between life and death. And my assistants will need to know, too." When a few minutes passed, Khan remaining stubbornly silent, McCoy huffed out, "Fine, off the records. But I reserve the right to tell my assistants if there's an emergency."

Khan seemed satisfied with this response, gesturing to two of the bodies. "They are not augments. They require extra care."

McCoy furrowed his brows. "But they _are_ members of your crew?"

"Yes. They swore their lives to me." Khan's gaze lingered on the youngest of the two. She couldn't be more than eighteen, long red hair a knotted mess around her face.

"I'll have to get more supplies." McCoy turned, searching the room for Van Gelder. The other doctor was speaking with Korby by the door. McCoy swiftly crossed the room, immediately gathering their attention. "I need three basic vaccination sets."

"Right away," said Van Gelder. "Dr. Korby will assist you with everything you need."

McCoy looked over the android, raising a skeptical brow. He was uncomfortable with the idea of Korby having access to everything needed. "I thought you were an inmate."

"Dr. Van Gelder has promised to keep my... _crimes_... and condition from Starfleet, so long as I stay where he can observe me," Korby informed.

"So you were rewarded for trying trying to create an Android army."

Korby averted his eyes. "We did some research. I might not be entitled to basic rights anymore."

They expected him to believe that? "That's a load of bull and you know it. Any sentient being is granted basic rights." When Korby opened his mouth to respond, McCoy shook his head. "Just... go get me the vaccinations. And some bandages, antiseptic, and a neuro-scanner."

After Korby fled the room, McCoy resisted the urge to question Van Gelder on his choices. There were more important matters. "Any advice on helping a neuron-neutralizer victim?"

"Time and medicine. I'll supply you with the prescription I took." After a moment, he added, "Korby isn't a bad person, Doctor. The medical community would suffer a great loss if he was locked up."

"Yeah, the greater good and all that," he muttered. "Because that always works out for the best..."

~

"So, just gather the statement from Van Gelder, and then we can call Starfleet," said Jim, as he and Spock re-entered the lab. Jim approached a very busy Dr. McCoy. Korby hovered behind him, offering tools when necessary.

"What's their status?" asked Jim.

Bones didn't even look up, using a device to close an incision. "Not good. I'm going to need some assistance to properly help them. I want them on the _Enterprise_ , where I know the medical staff won't experiment on them."

"Of course. Have you seen Khan?"

"Behind you," McCoy said, still not looking up.

Khan was kneeling beside the six bodies laid out on the floor, a clean white sheet keeping them off the tile.

Jim dropped down beside the brunette, cautiously placing his hand over the clenched one in Khan's lap. Khan turned his hand over, tangling their fingers in a too-tight grip.

"Tell me about them," Jim urged, ignoring the pain in his hand.

"Dr. McCoy hasn't indulged me with details, but-"

"No, I meant before. When they were alive."

After a long pause, Khan gestured to one of the bodies. The features suggested that the man was of Asian decent, perhaps in his mid forties. "Yamada had the opportunity to live freely with his non-augmented wife and their child, but instead chose to follow me into space." Then, speaking of the woman on the far right of the row, "Pierce was with me from the beginning. She is the only one that might have surpassed me in intelligence."

Kirk winced at the loud _crack_ of his hand breaking, sharp pain shooting up his arm.

Khan loosened his grasp, lifting Kirk's hand to examine the damage.

"It's fine," said Kirk. _At least, compared to a broken jaw_.

Khan took a knife out of his pocket.

If there weren't six corpses next to him, Jim would have laughed. As it was, he simply asked, "Do you always have a knife on you?"

The gleaming silver split Khan's skin with an ease Kirk's teeth never could, red liquid pooling in the palm of the augment's hand. Kirk's mouth went dry as it was offered to him. He took it in his undamaged hand, casting a quick glance about the room. McCoy was busy working on the unconscious augments, and Korby was paying full attention to the doctor. Van Gelder and Spock were deep in conversation, Spock jotting down notes in a PADD.

Deciding they were sufficiently unobserved, Jim cleaned Khan's palm with his tongue. The sweet, addictive taste flooded his senses, and it took all his will to not nibble on the cut to keep it open.

"Captain."

Jim dropped Khan's hand. "Spock!"

To the Vulcan's credit, he kept his face neutral, not even doing his usual inquisitive eyebrow-raise. "I have gathered and organized all relevant data. Lieutenant Uhura is contacting Starfleet now."

Jim got to his feet, smoothing out his uniform. His hurt hand only twinged a bit as he brushed it over golden fabric. "Alright. Bones, I trust you to get Khan's crew onto the _Enterprise_. Spock, head back in case _Starfleet_ needs someone to tell them about what happened here."

Spock approached the door. It didn't open. "Doctor Van Gelder, I require your assistance."

"That's peculiar. It shouldn't lock us in." Van Gelder pressed at the keypad beside the door, then did an eye scan. The keypad emitted a jarring screech. He tried again. Another loud screech. "This doesn't make any sense..." He quickly made a call on his communicator, visibly unsettled when he finally put it away. "Someone's manually put us under Level 1 Lockdown, though my assistants don't know who. I can only override it from the Main Control Center."

"We can't even leave the room," said McCoy. "None of your assistants are near the control center?" The suspicion in his voice caught Jim off guard.

"One is, but she doesn't have the authority to override it," said Van Gelder.

"Well, the good news is that we've got Khan with us," said Jim. At Bones' expression of disbelief, Spock's raised eyebrow, and Khan's stare, Jim hurried on, "He can open the door for us."

"I'm not leaving my family under these conditions," said Khan.

"Doctor McCoy will keep an eye on them."

"Jim, I'm a doctor, not some kind of guard. I can't watch _and_ protect them on my own."

"I'll stay here with you," Korby volunteered.

"Excellent. Because a criminal android is just what I need," McCoy grumbled.

"The communicators can still connect within the Penal Colony, right?" asked Kirk. At Van Gelder's confirmation, he continued, "We'll jam the door shut after us, and you can always call if something happens."

McCoy didn't look reassured in the slightest. "Just be careful. Lockdowns are supposed to keep us safe; not test our ability to break down doors."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my new Khirk fanvid: http://youtu.be/WgTM929gGTA


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously, since it's been a while:
> 
> Khan kidnaps Kirk in a shuttlepod. They're picked up by Daniel O'Connor in a Tantalus Guard ship. Khan “coerces” Daniel into admitting that he was sending them into a trap. They beam down and try to remove Khan's collar, but Spock and Uhura find them before they can. 
> 
> Tantalus VII is full of dead people, and they explore, discovering Matthew (a brainwashed member of Khan's crew), Pike (alive), and Ethan Novakovich (a scientist who took notes on Khan in section 31 but secretly works with Smike, who is an augment). These people are imprisoned by an empathic Betazoid named Regis. Khan manages to subdue her, and they all go back to the ship. 
> 
> They go down to Tantalus V Penal Colony to question Adams, who reveals that 11 more members of Khan's crew are there. Six are dead and five are badly injured. The colony goes into level 1 lockdown, and even Van Gelder can't override it without going to the main control center. They leave McCoy and Korby with the injured augments, break down the door, jam it shut, and leave to override the lockdown.

Kirk, Khan, Spock, and Van Gelder had reached the Main Control Room with surprisingly little difficulty, only to find Adams at the controls.

"I don't know how you escaped your cell, but don't think you're getting out of this," Kirk said, keeping his phaser aimed at the man. Part of him- a big part- was hoping Adams would try to attack.

Adams simply raised his hands over his head in surrender. "Are you going to arrest me? Since your little pet can't hurt me."

Kirk could feel Khan's ire, glancing at him to make sure he was alright. Khan gave a nearly imperceptible nod, all the reassurance Kirk needed. "Mr. Spock, arrest Doctor Adams. Van Gelder, go ahead and override the lockdown." Kirk waited a moment, but Van Gelder stayed rooted in place, staring at Adams with wide eyes. " _Van_ _Gelder_.”

The doctor snapped out of it, apologizing and making his way to the controls.

"Go ahead," said Adams, placing his hands together for Spock to cuff. "Arrest me. Override the barrier. I've already done everything I needed to do."

~

Bones did another scan of the augment he was working on. He had done the best he could without assistants. Now the augment's body had to do the rest, hopefully capable of healing the mass damage that even he couldn't completely fix. He moved on to the next injured member of Khan's crew, one of the two non-augmented humans. This one was male, mid to late forties, with the same red hair as the girl Khan had said was not an augment. This man's nose and general facial structure were similar enough to hers to suggest they were related.

"Anything I can do?"

Bones cast a scowl at Dr. Korby. He didn't care what anyone said; he refused to trust this android. Not after everything he had done; everything he had _tried_ to do. Bones would have felt more comfortable alone than with Korby. When he didn't immediately answer, Korby went to grab one of the tools. Bones swiftly blocked the attempt. "You want to know what you can do? You can take your offer and go shove it so far up-"

_Chirp_ ~

Bones flipped open his communicator, keeping his gaze on Korby. "Finally got the shields down?"

“ _Affirmative,”_ said Uhura. “ _We're sending a party down to assist in bringing up the injured._ ”

“Alright, just make sure they don't have weak stomachs. McCoy out.” He had barely ended the call when a loud _screeechhh_ filled the air, followed by the _clang_ of metal crashing to the ground, as the door was un-jammed.

Khan walked through first, clearly responsible for “opening” the door, followed by the rest of their somber group. Somber, except for Adams, who wore an unsettling grin.

“How are my subjects? Any operable?” asked Adams, earning rigid nonresponse from those around him. He had probably been babbling horrible things since they had detained him.

“Can I hypo him?” Bones asked.

"Go right ahead," said Kirk. 

 

~

 

“Captain, shall I meet you in the Bridge, after I transfer Adams to the brig?” asked Spock.

“Yes. I'll see you there,” said Kirk, before directing his attention to Khan. He was staring at the transporter machine, waiting for Bones and his crew to beam through. “If you want, you can stay here and accompany McCoy to sickbay.”

“No,” said Khan, turning his sharp gaze to Kirk. “I... trust your doctor. But I do not trust Starfleet. I would rather accompany you and oversee their response to your report.”

Kirk opened his mouth. Thought better. Snapped it shut. Khan barely trusted _him_ , even with their connection, yet for some reason he trusted McCoy? He resisted the strong urge to ask him about it. They didn't have the luxury of time, and he didn't want to accidentally discourage Khan's trust of the doctor.

They quickly made their way to the bridge, hardly setting foot in it when Uhura said, “Captain, Commodore Penny from Starbase 192 is requesting to speak with you. She says it's urgent.”

“Is it in response to a report sent to Starfleet?”

“No, sir. We haven't sent out the report yet. We need to go over the details with you first.”

“Alright. Put her through.”

“ _This is Commodore Penny from Starbase 192_. _Am I speaking with Captain Kirk?_ ” Her voice was surprisingly stern.

“Yes, this is Captain Kirk of the USS _Enterprise_. I understand that you said it's urgent?”

“ _Indeed_. _We received a call from Tantalus V Penal colony approximately twenty minutes ago, and were told some concerning details. We require you to report to Starbase 192 immediately, for full disclosure of the events that took place at the Penal colony, as well as other questionable details.”_

“I'll bring a full report of the events.”

“ _Good. Commodore out.”_

“An interesting conversation.”

Kirk turned around, glad to see his first officer. “Adams must have called the Commodore before placing the penal colony under lockdown. I can only imagine what he said, but we have to be prepared to make our case. Do we have full documentation of the damage Adams committed, as well as witness reports to his confessions?”

“Yes, as well as a tentative report of the events on Tantalus VII,” said Spock. “I thought you would like to look it over before we make it official, and familiarize yourself with what was put in it.”

“Alright. Sulu, how long until we reach the Starbase?”

“Forty minutes, sir.”

“Make it an hour and a half.”

 

~

 

Khan read the report on Tantalus VII over Kirk's shoulder. It was missing entire sections of events. It included enough to account for things Novakovich and that strange Betazoid knew, but ultimately said very little.

“We have a serious problem,” said Kirk, looking up from the PADD. “Khan, you knocked Regis out. And _tortured_ DanielO'Connor.” Ignoring Spock's raised brow, he continued, “If they tell anyone, they'll know your collar isn't working.” He ran a hand through his hair, somehow making it even messier. “Spock, is it possible to fix his collar before reaching Starbase 192?”

“The rehabilitation device was created on New Vulcan with technology unavailable on the _Enterprise_ , and took at least a week to finish. We will not be able to repair it,” said Spock.

“So what are we going to tell them?” Kirk asked. “We can't just hope they don't ask or check.”

“We could claim we were unaware of the malfunction until I, in response to threats, instinctively coerced answers from O'Connor,” Khan suggested.

“Vulcans cannot lie,” Spock lied.

Khan was not impressed. “Yes. Because you were completely honest when you claimed to be giving me my crew, on the _Vengeance_.”

“I did not lie– I said that the torpedoes were yours. I purposely misled you, but I was honest.”

“Then you can purposely mislead Starfleet personnel.”

“I'm gonna have to agree with Khan on this one,” said Kirk.

“As well as many other _ones_ , as you put it, Captain,” said Spock. “He clouds your judgement, and if you were not connected to him to such an extent, I would insist on having him returned to his cryotube. However, Doctor McCoy has made it quite clear that Khan's absence would be more harmful for you than his presence. I will not lie, but I will carefully omit for your sake.”

~

Kirk and Khan stopped in at medbay. McCoy looked up from his medical tricorder, and said, “You both look like shit.”

“Thanks,” Kirk joked. “How're Khan's people?”

“Stable condition. They shouldn't be waking up, but just in case, I'm keeping them under. It doesn't seem like the best time to have confused, injured augments wandering the _Enterprise_. You can look for yourself, but you should really get some rest before going down to meet the Commodore.”

“Don't you have something in here that'll freshen me up?” asked Kirk.

“Nothing that'll let you keep your mental faculties.”

Khan approached the beds as the two bantered, marveling at how, in such a short amount of time, McCoy had managed to clean and dress all of the wounds, straighten out broken limbs, and make Khan's crew look like _people_ again, instead of leftovers from a failed science experiment.

He checked on Matthew, who appeared to be in good condition. Here, as long as McCoy was in charge, his family would be safe.

“-believe it when I see it,” McCoy was saying, somehow getting Kirk to laugh even during such a serious situation. Kirk leaned closer to his friend, whispering something that got a grin and an eye roll from the doctor.

Kirk's behavior felt almost foreign. Not just in this situation, but in general. He had Kirk's desire, concern, and affection, but this part of the captain–his laughter, his sincere smile, his true joy in the presence of another– were beyond anything Khan had ever received. Beyond anything he'd ever _wanted_ to receive.

Kirk looked up as Khan approached, his cheer instantly replaced with concern. He reached out to Khan, and when Khan didn't immediately take his hand, he gripped onto Khan's sleeve, pulling him close. “Everything alright?”

Khan gave a curt nod. “McCoy seems to have everything under control.”

“C'mon, let's go to my room. We've got about an hour before we reach our destination.”

“Is it too much to hope you'll spend at least half of it taking a nap?” asked McCoy.

“Probably.”

“Want me to keep you hypoed here until we get there?” McCoy joked.

Kirk grinned. “Nah, I think I'll be good. Besides, I'm sure Khan still has a stash of sleeping pills somewhere, if we really want to knock ourselves out.”

~

Khan was, quite frankly, impressed. On the way to his room, Kirk had stood tall, eyes bright and chin held high, shoulders back. But the moment they were alone in his quarters, the shine left his eyes, his posture suffering. He looked like he was barely holding himself up. To not only hide this from others, but from _himself_ , while out and about, was admirable. He hadn't just stood up taller and went through the motions. He had forced himself to actually _be_ the person he presented himself as.

But now, with no watching eyes, no immediate duties, and a billion worries pressing in on him, he gave himself a moment's rest from being Captain. 

Kirk sighed. “I wish I could sleep for a thousand years.”

“Hopefully not under Starfleet's care,” said Khan.

Kirk grimaced. “Just... can we not talk about Starfleet? For a little bit? I know that's not fair, but soon I'm going to have to _keep_ talking about it, and I really need a break.”

Khan didn't doubt it. It didn't take their bond to see that. He guided Kirk to the bed, the blond reaching out to Khan when he went to move away. “Lay with me.”

Khan hesitated. He had laid with Kirk more times than he cared to count, but he had always had an excuse, always had an end goal to justify it. His collar didn't work, and he knew Kirk wouldn't go back on his word to help him. If he did this- such a simple thing- it would be entirely because he chose to. And his actions now would set a precedent for the future.

“Oh, c'mon. You cuddled with me all the time when your collar was working. Even if it was just to manipulate me, I know you enjoyed it. So get down here.”.

He settled beside Kirk on the bed, the blond humming his approval and curling up to him. Khan definitely didn't pull Kirk into his arms, or nuzzle the blond's cheek. And he definitely didn't hold Kirk tighter when the captain whispered sweetly, “Thank you.”

And if he _did_ return the gentle, chaste kiss, it was because Jim was his, and why shouldn't he kiss him?

Against Khan's lips, as if hearing the thought, Kirk said, “You know you're mine, right?”

Kirk had said it before, but never quite so affectionately. It felt different this time. More intimate. Khan weighed his possible responses. Considered the reaction he wanted from Kirk. Decided he would try to get the same response McCoy had gotten. He settled on saying, “Yes, I know.”

Kirk pulled back, baffled. Scrutinized Khan. When Khan didn't move to correct himself, Kirk laughed. Sincere. Truly entertained. “Just, yes? No conditions?” He was grinning.

A surprising success, bringing an even more surprising amount of contentment. Khan traced the lines of Kirk's smile with his fingertips, the blond's amusement seeping into Khan. If his own emotions were poison to Kirk, Kirk's emotions were a balm to Khan. He hadn't been engineered to feel content or peaceful, but Kirk, as usual, was achieving the impossible.

He cupped Kirk's cheek, pulling the blond into another kiss.

~

Kirk didn't know what had caused Khan's change in temperament, but he appreciated it. Maybe Bones had given him something when Kirk wasn't looking. Maybe it was the bond. In any case, the lack of intense, draining emotions was a relief. He'd enjoy it while it lasted.

_Chirp~_

Reluctantly, he broke their kiss. He struggled to free one of his arms from Khan's embrace. It proved unnecessary, Khan grabbing the comm and holding it up to Kirk's ear for him. “Kirk here.”

“ _We will be at Starbase 192 in approximately ten minutes._ ”

“Alright. Get the copies of our reports and have Scotty ready the transporter room. I'll be there in five.”

“ _Yes, Captain. Spock out._ ”

Khan snapped the comm shut, tucking it back into Kirk's pocket. He somehow managed to untangle himself from Kirk, getting to his feet. Kirk accepted the offered hand. “Do you still have the communicator McCoy gave you? I wanna program its number into mine.”

“I've already programmed it in,” said Khan.

Kirk didn't know why he was surprised. “Feel free to hang out here or in medbay while I'm gone. Hopefully I won't be long.”

“And if they refuse to help my crew?”

Kirk really hoped it didn't come to that. Breaking rules was one thing. Going against Starfleet was something else altogether. But he couldn't stand by if torture and murder were being practiced behind the scenes. “Then we'll find our own way to help your crew.”

~

 

Kirk accepted a PADD full of reports from Spock, as well as a couple chips full of computer data.

“Transporter's ready whenever, sir,” said Scotty.

“Alright. Scotty, energize,” said Kirk. White wisps surrounded him, the tingling sense of his relocation filling him. In seconds, he was in an unfamiliar transporter room on Starbase 192.

Two men stepped into the room, a phaser on either of their belts. “Follow us,” said one of them. Aside from that, they remained silent, one leading the way and the other bringing up the rear. He felt like a criminal being escorted to a cell.

They finally stopped before a door with a plaque reading _Commodore Arissa J. Penny,_ a simple gesture telling him to file in.

An unfamiliar woman sat behind a big desk, her aged hands folded in front of her, and her dark gray hair pulled back in a sharp bun. “Have a seat.” Her voice, Kirk immediately recognized. There was no mistaking the stern, unforgiving edge.

He took the only other available seat, a simple cushioned chair across from her.

“The report,” she said, holding out a hand.

Kirk handed over the PADD. “Fully accounted for. We also have these–” He placed copies of computer records between them on the desk. “–to further substantiate the reports.”

Her eyes flickered back and forth as she read through the reports. After a few minutes, she set it down. “As you are well aware, Starfleet has already suffered in the public's eye from the actions of Alexander Marcus, and that was after the story was modified. If it gets out that people under Starfleet's care were tortured at a penal colony- a facility we've worked very hard to give the appearance of comfort and safety- there will be no telling the damage it could do. Starfleet cannot take another hit.”

Kirk frowned, trying to follow her logic. “Are you suggesting a secret trial?”

“I am suggesting that it is in both your and Starfleet's best interest to forgo a trial and come to a solution without court involvement,” said Penny.

It sounded suspiciously like an underhanded cheat, intended to cover up corruption. “What do you have in mind for Khan's crew?”

“That depends. I'm assuming you have a suggestion?”

“Yes. While under Starfleet's watch, six were _killed_ , and as far as I can tell, all 12 of the ones we found were experimented on to some extent. That's a serious violation of human rights.” When she didn't comment on his words, he continued, “I propose we give them a planet to settle on. Somewhere easy to live, but without the proper ore to achieve advanced machinery or warp technology.”

“In a word, you suggest _exile_ ,”she said, brows furrowing in thought.

“With a way to contact Starfleet in the case of an emergency,” he added.

“And Khan Noonien Singh?” she asked. “After his crimes, you cannot expect us to let him join them.”

“Well...” What _could_ he suggest for Khan? He had killed an Admiral, blown up an archive, shot up a Starfleet meeting, and then crashed a starship into a densely populated area. Kirk _understood_ why Khan had done these things. Hell, he could _feel_ why, now. A normal person treated the way Khan had been treated would be potentially volatile, but a man who had been designed with 'emotions to fuel his savagery' in that situation was a bomb waiting to happen.

Yet, he could by no means _justify_ Khan's actions. Too much damage had been done. Perhaps gene therapy would help him, but he didn't think Khan would be open to scientists poking around his genetics after recent events. And other alternatives would separate the two of them, the mere thought of which was intolerable.

“I suggest we continue the rehabilitation program, though the technology needs to be repaired and better reinforced. It malfunctioned within the last 24 hours,” he said.

Without even the slightest change in tone, she said, “And what do you suggest for yourself?”

“Excuse me?”

“Your punishment, and that of Commander Spock and Doctor Leonard McCoy.”

He stared for a moment, searching that stern face for a sign she was joking. He found none. “For what charge?”

She leaned forward, fixing him with her hard stare. “Both you and Commander Spock were trusted with the custody of Khan Noonien Singh. The moment you realized you were incapable of being unbiased in your watch of him, you should have informed the proper authorities so they could reassess the situation. Your CMO failed to report this... _bond_ you have with Mr. Singh, as did your First Officer and you yourself.”

Shit. Adams must have told her. He had forgotten that Adams knew.

“In accordance with Federation law, failing to report that you've been compromised while having a class 1 criminal in your custody is punishable by up to ten years at a penal colony. However, as we wish to avoid court, we are willing to negotiate in exchange for your silence on what you have found and seen. A two year sentence at a penal colony of your choice, with reinstatement to captaincy afterward. We would be willing to waive Doctor McCoy and Mr. Spock's charges entirely.”

“I-” No, he had other things to focus on before negotiating his own situation. He had made a promise. “What about Adams?”

“He will be silenced.”

There was no way that meant what he thought. “How?”

“It's best you don't know the details, but you can trust that he will never commit a crime again.”

“We shouldn't fight a violation of human rights with more violations of human rights. And we shouldn't hide what we've found. Clearly there's something wrong with the system, if this is how Starfleet deals with its problems. Maybe we _should_ have a trial.”

“You want a trial?” she asked, the hard edge to her voice becoming razor sharp. “I will tell you what would happen in a trial. You would be sentenced to ten years in a penal colony and stripped of your rank, and any chance of returning to space. Mr. Spock and Doctor McCoy would face punishment as well. On top of that, trust in the safety and security of our penal colonies would drop. It would offset the entire balance of our system. Mr. Singh's crew would be kept under stricter watch in their cryotubes; after all of the other problems Starfleet has to deal with, no court would grant them their own planet. As for Mr. Singh, his fate would be uncertain, but unpromising.” She sat back in her chair, hands once more neatly folded on the desk before her.

It sounded like a recipe for disaster. Not just the crumbling of faith in Starfleet, but Khan's reaction to such an outcome. And if they were so keen on keeping it all under wraps... “...what about Christopher Pike?”

“He will be reinstated as an Admiral as soon as he is cleared for duty. He can be sent to Earth Starfleet headquarters immediately if you decide against a trial, or after as he would be needed as a witness,” she explained, flippantly, as if a man coming back from the dead was an everyday occurrence. “Until we come to a solution, you are confined to the Starbase. Feel free to discuss the situation with Doctor McCoy and Commander Spock.”

“I'll do that. I'm guessing I have a room here, since I can't leave?”

“Yes.” She pressed a button on the desk, one of the guards from earlier entering the room. “Smith, please show the captain to his room.”

 

~ 

“Ten  _years_?” Bones asked, incredulously.

“I looked it up,” said Kirk, leaning against the small desk in his provided room.

“You are sure they intend to kill Adams?” Spock asked.

“Well, Penny sure implied it,” said Kirk. “But, as I've explained, I don't really have a choice. I can't let you two be punished for my behavior.”

“ _Your_ behavior?” McCoy asked. “You didn't choose to be brought back with his blood. I chose for you. So don't you dare let your concern for me be what stops you from doing what you feel is right. If you want to take this to trial, we'll support you all the way. And if you want to avoid trial, we won't respect you any less.”

“I wish Khan was that easy to please. If I do take this to trial, it seems likely I'll have to go against-”

“Captain,” Spock swiftly cut in. Lowering his voice, he said, “Judging from what you've told me, it would not be out of character for them to be observing you right now.”

Kirk glanced around the room. He didn't see cameras or bugs, but that didn't mean there weren't any. Spock had a point. “What I'm getting at is, I don't really see a choice here. If they're willing to agree to a few more demands, then... well, then my best option is agreeing to keep this out of court.”

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woww I've been waiting 18 chapters to get to this point in the plot, about time!
> 
> Just to clarify, Khan isn't turning into a cuddly tribble, as adorable as that would be. That's only in my other story xD


End file.
